Webb County Mother Arrested After Toddler Found Wandering Alone Before Dawn

On Thursday, November 20, 2025, around 4:05 AM, Webb County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a welfare concern after a passerby found a two-year-old child wandering alone near Rio Hudson and Paseo de Tiber in Rio Bravo.

The passerby told deputies he was on his way to work when the toddler crossed the street in front of his vehicle. He stopped, ensured the child’s safety, and called 911.

Deputies searched the area and determined the child lived in an apartment complex in the 500 block of Rio Hudson. They soon found an apartment with its front door standing wide open. Inside, deputies made contact with the child’s mother, identified as Jacqueline Vallejo, 25.

Investigators learned the child had left the apartment around 3:58 AM and had been outside unsupervised for 15 to 20 minutes before being found.

Vallejo was arrested and charged with abandonment/endangerment of a child, a state jail felony. She was booked into the Webb County Jail on a no-bond hold pending magistration.

Sheriff Martin Cuellar praised both deputies and the passerby for preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.

“I’m extremely proud of our deputies for their swift response,” Sheriff Cuellar said. “And I want to recognize the quick action of the witness who saw the child. His vigilance helped prevent a tragedy. Our children deserve to be kept safe at all times, and my office will continue to ensure their protection.”

He encouraged the public to report suspicious activity to 956-415-BUST (2878), noting that callers may qualify for a cash reward.