A man accused of leaving a newborn child in a running car while he and his wife were inside a bar was given $20,000 bond overnight in court.
David Figueroa, 31, did not appear in court because he was combative, but details of the case were read in his absence.
Figueroa and his wife, 24-year-old Elizabeth Bryand, who is also the mother of the baby, are both charged with abandoning a child.
According to court documents, on April 30, the couple went to a bar at 9501 Airline Dr. in north Houston and left the baby unattended inside the running vehicle at night for three hours and 50 minutes.
A gun was also allegedly in plain view, and while it appeared the couple intended to return, they did not take the child for any type of emergency care, court documents said.
It was not immediately known what happened to the baby.
New information from court overnight revealed that Figueroa and Bryand would check on the child every half hour, but “that’s still a really long time to leave an infant in a vehicle while they are inside drinking alcohol,” prosecutors said.
A public defender asked that Figueroa be given $3,000 bond, while the state wanted $15,000.
Ultimately, he was given $20,000 bond and must follow conditions, including no alcohol or drugs. Figueroa also cannot go within 50 feet of any nightclub, bar or other place where alcohol is sold.
Bryand’s name was not called in court.
As the temperatures begin to rise and the season moves closer to summer, it’s a reminder to never leave your kids in your car, even if it’s just for a moment.
Tragically, there were three hot car deaths in our area last year, according to Kids and Car Safety.
The nonprofit’s data says more than 1,000 children have died in hot cars since 1990 and at least another 7,300 survived with varying types and severity of injuries.
According to Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the temperature inside a car can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes.
