Laredo mother arrested after video of child hanging from car door of moving vehicle goes viral

By César Rodriguez, LMTonline.com / Laredo Morning Times

Updated

5:26 pm CDT, Friday, May 1, 2020

A woman has been arrested for driving her GMC Yukon while her child was hanging on the running board, Laredo police said on Thursday.

Jessica Lizette Villarreal, 35, was charged on Tuesday with endangerment of a child, a state jail felony punishable with up to two years in jail and a possible fine of $10,000.

On Feb. 27, LPD’s special investigations unit opened a child endangerment case when it was discovered that a child was seen riding on the running board of a sport utility vehicle in a parking lot.

The investigation revealed that the incident occurred in the parking lot of H-E-B in the 1300 block of Guadalupe Street on Feb. 26.

At the time, authorities related information to the media asking for the identification of the suspect driving a red GMC Yukon.

An anonymous tip identified the suspect as Villarreal. She was the one driving the vehicle while the child was hanging on the running board, according to police.

“Ms. Villarreal admitted that her child, a minor (younger than) 10 years old, was misbehaving and refused to get into the car,” police said in a statement.

An assistant district attorney approved an arrest warrant for Villarreal.