HOUSTON – The mother of a baby boy who was found alone and wearing nothing but a diaper at a southwest Houston apartment complex Tuesday has been found, authorities said.
Dana McGowan, 33, was located near the 10300 block of S. Wilcrest Friday and taken into custody for two felony warrants: DWI with a passenger under 15 and parole/probation violation, officers with the Houston Police Department said.
Authorities said a warrant had been out for her arrest since March 11.
According to HPD, McGowan may also be charged with abandoning a child, depending on the outcome of the investigation with HPD.
She is currently in the Harris County jail.
UPDATE #3: Dana McGowan was located near the S. Wilcrest address overnight & taken into custody for 2 felony warrants: dwi with passenger under 15 & parole/probation violation.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 8, 2022
Our detectives plan to interview her on the abandoned baby case. Any updates will be posted here. https://t.co/quRnjMEVeR
Houston police said residents reported seeing McGowan in the area of the 10300 block of S. Wilcrest in recent days.
The case baffled investigators from the beginning, wondering how the baby could be missing for more than a day with no one coming forward to claim him.
Investigators held a news conference on Thursday, updating the public on what information they did know.
According to investigators, an employee and a resident discovered the baby, who is 12 months old, alone near the gate of an apartment complex in the 10300 block of S. Wilcrest Drive around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday.
The boy had a few visible injuries, particularly around his mouth, which investigators said he could have sustained while navigating alone.
The child was immediately taken to the hospital as a precaution, then released to the custody of Children’s Protective Services. Authorities waited overnight to see if anyone would reach out, possibly reporting a lost child, but no contact was made.
The following day, information was released to the media in hopes of locating anyone who knew who the child belonged to.
A family member reached out and told police the identities of the mother and child. From there, the child’s father was contacted.
The father told investigators he did not know his child was missing, and did not know the mother’s whereabouts, but did want to take custody of his son.
Another family member also came forward wanting to raise the child, but due to the ongoing investigation, the child remains with CPS.
Anyone with more information on this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 832-394-1840.