COPPERAS COVE, TX – A routine afternoon turned unsettling for a Copperas Cove boy when he returned from school to discover his home stripped bare and his family missing, leaving him to piece together what had happened entirely on his own.
Police were called to the scene on Friday when the child sought help from a neighbor after finding his home vacated and his family gone. The neighbor accompanied the boy to the apartment, where officers confirmed the residence had been cleared out.
Investigators determined that the boy’s mother, Erica Renee Sanders, and her boyfriend, Keven Dwayne Adams, had moved out of the apartment without leaving any information for the boy or authorities about where they were headed. According to police, the child told officers his family had previously discussed moving, but he had not expected to be left behind.
Authorities managed to reach Sanders and Adams by phone. The couple told officers that the boy’s uncle was supposed to pick him up, but they did not share any contact information for the relative. Officers later tracked down the uncle, who said he had no knowledge of any plans to pick up the child or of the family’s relocation.
While speaking with investigators, Adams reportedly expressed a series of complaints about the 12-year-old. Child Protective Services also attempted to contact Adams and Sanders for their new address, but both reportedly declined to share that information.
According to statements made by the neighbor who assisted the boy, this was not the first time the child had been forced out of his home by the couple. The neighbor recounted prior instances where Adams and Sanders had made the child leave the apartment.
Both Sanders and Adams were taken into custody and face charges of abandoning or endangering a child without intent to return. The charge is a felony under Texas law and is pursued in cases where a caregiver leaves a child in circumstances that place the child at risk of harm.
The boy was left in the care of relatives as the investigation continues. Authorities are working with child welfare officials to ensure the child’s safety and evaluate the conditions that led to his abandonment.
As of Friday, it was unclear whether Sanders and Adams remained in custody, and officials have not released further details on their status. The Coryell County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident.