Mother charged after son found in trunk at Texas COVID test site

Medical assistant Leslie Powers carries swab samples collected from people to process them on-site at a COVID-19 testing site in Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, …

Medical assistant Leslie Powers carries swab samples collected from people to process them on-site at a COVID-19 testing site in Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

by: Juan A. Lozano

Posted: Jan 7, 2022 / 06:55 PM CST

Updated: Jan 7, 2022 / 06:56 PM CST

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston mother was charged after authorities allege she placed her 13-year-old son in the trunk of her car to isolate him after he tested positive for COVID-19, then took him to a drive-thru testing site.

The 41-year-old is charged with endangering a child after authorities allege her son was found on Monday in her car’s trunk at a testing site for the Cypress-Fairbanks school district in northwest Houston.

The woman is a teacher with the school district, which says the child was not harmed.

The mother told a district official that she put her son in the trunk to prevent her from getting exposed to COVID-19 while taking him for additional testing.