Crime & Safety

Round Rock Woman Charged With Child Endangerment

Chrystal Nichole Walraven, 28, is accused of leaving her 5 kids home alone while looking for work in South Carolina and visiting the beach.

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS — Police have accused a Round Rock woman of leaving her five children alone for several days last summer while she looked for work in South Carolina and visit the beach, according to media reports.

Chrystal Nichole Walraven, 28, has been charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering a child, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Her children range in age from 15 months to 12 years old, according to an arrest affidavit.

The children originally were placed in foster care before being placed with relatives, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told the Statesman. Walraven was arrested on Feb. 11 by the Travis County Sheriff's Office, according to police.

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The newspaper reported detectives were first notified of the alleged child neglect last August, when one of the children spoke at school about having to stay up all night to change a baby sister's diapers, according to the affidavit.

The charges against Walraven are second-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Find out what's happening in Round Rockfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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