HOUSTON -- Investigators searched for more information on Friday about a mother accused of leaving her five children and two other children home alone in northwest Harris County while she flew to Nigeria, KPRC Local 2 reported.
The children were found Wednesday night in a home in the 11000 block of Barker Grove at Barker Cypress.
Investigators said the mother left her 15-year-old daughter to take care of four of her children, including a 1-year-old, along with two other children left in her care.
Harris County officials said the children had no money and barely any food, and said the mother was not planning on coming home any time soon. She flew to Nigeria to marry a man she met on the Internet, according to authorities.
Child Protective Services located the children's grandmother, who lives in New Orleans, and an aunt.
The children were placed in foster homes.
"I pray that all of the kids are with someone that's loving, caring and somebody that will really take care of them," neighbor Ruthie Thomas said.
Thomas said the mother told her a different story.
"She told me before that she was married and her husband was in Africa, and that she called him to come home because the oldest two kids, the oldest two sons, were giving her a lot of trouble," Thomas said.
CPS confirmed a case history with the 33-year-old mother because of domestic fights. However, CPS never took custody of the children. The mother has a total of eight children.
CPS said the mother told a social worker the status of the children's fathers was none of their business.
Police are considering charges against the father who left his 3- and 4-year-old children at the home with the teenager.
CPS officials said he thought an aunt was en route from New Orleans, but he did not check on his children for days.
Authorities said the mother was not employed so it's not known how she afforded a 3,000-square-foot home.
The mother did not leave any contact information with neighbors or her family, officials said.
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