In Texas, two women face charges after a 2-year-old girl was notably put at risk, with surveillance footage capturing the toddler wandering alone in a field during the early hours of the morning. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. when temperatures were near freezing.

Haley Peoples, 21, along with her mother, Rebecca Kelly, 50, were taken into custody on Friday, as reported by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The situation unfolded after a property owner made an alarming call around 6 a.m., revealing that her game camera had recorded a young child navigating the woods unaccompanied at approximately 3 a.m.

The sheriff’s statement highlighted that the little girl was only dressed in a simple dress and had no shoes, while the temperature hovered in the 40s.

Authorities promptly initiated a search operation, but just a few hours later, the toddler’s mother contacted the police herself.

According to the sheriff’s report, “At 7:20 a.m., a woman identified as Haley Peoples informed authorities that her 2-year-old daughter had ‘left the home’ earlier that morning.” The statement continues, “Haley mentioned she discovered her daughter outside at 4:15 a.m. yet chose not to alert law enforcement until hours later, during an ongoing search by deputies.”

Deputies went to the girl’s home, where they say they found “unsafe living conditions — including trash, soiled clothing, rotting food, rat droppings, and a heavy odor of urine.”

The child was also “found soiled,” the statement said.

Peoples “declined care and refused to change the child’s clothing,” a factor in deputies’ decision to detain Peoples at that time, according to the statement.

Officials noted that a total of four children — the girl seen on the camera and three siblings — lived in the home.

The girl’s grandmother apparently made an appearance while deputies were at the home — but left soon thereafter.

“During the investigation, the child’s grandmother, Rebecca Kelly, returned to the scene but left after being asked to wait for a supervisor,” the statement said. “Shortly afterward, deputies learned that Rebecca had gone to an Elementary School, where she attempted to remove the three other siblings from class before 9:00 a.m. School staff reported she claimed CPS was arriving and told the children not to talk about the early-morning incident, calling it a ‘private family matter.’”

Officials called this an “attempt to interfere with a child-safety investigation” that further endangered the child and “obstructed lawful efforts to ensure their wellbeing.”

Kelly was detained at the school. All four children were taken to the hospital for evaluation, the sheriff’s statement noted.

Peoples faces a charge of abandoning and endangering a child with imminent danger of bodily injury. Kelly was arrested for interference with an investigation of abuse or neglect. They were booked into the Bexar County Jail; officials have confirmed to Law&Crime that neither woman is in custody.