2 Santa Teresa parents face charges after child found wandering streets

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Two Santa Teresa parents are facing charges of child abandonment and child abuse after their 2-year-old child was found walking the streets Wednesday, Dec. 20 in rainy weather in inappropriate clothing, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

Noel DeJesus Hernandez, 27, and Christina Baker, 19, are both facing two counts of abandonment of a child and one count of child abuse.

The child was found about three blocks away from their house and was observed wearing a “sweater, diaper with no pants, shoes or socks,” according to court documents. The weather was described as rainy with temperature around 49 degrees.

Police also said the child’s home was unfit for living with a strong smell of urine and feces on the floor.

Hernandez, identified as the child’s stepfather, had fallen asleep and was woken by his fiancee, Baker, when she noticed their child was not in the house, according to court documents.

They both told Sunland Park Police, who responded to the incident, that the child also had left home in November and was found across the street by a neighbor.

When police came to the child’s home, they “observed and detected a strong odor of feces and urine-like smell (ammonia), a small child mattress directly on the floor, a twin-size bed on frame. Feces were scattered on the floor and stains of what appeared to be from urine, mattress appeared to be unsanitary and a medium-size dog inside a cage and small puppy free on the floor,” according to court documents.

The smell was strong enough to cause officers to get nauseous and give them a headache, according to court documents.

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