An Indian Hills couple was charged with child endangerment after a neighbor found their 4-year-old son at her door crying for his parents, and an infant alone in their residence.
Raquel Iquado, 34, and Jaime Garcia-Vazquez, 33, were jailed on $50,000 bail and each face two gross misdemeanor counts of child endangerment after the children were found Monday at 6 a.m.
The neighbor said the 4-year-old was in her yard wearing a diaper and screaming for his parents. She said he was cold and shaking.
The woman said she walked him back to his house and he went inside, but returned to her door and she called 911. The woman said she has previously seen the child alone.
Deputies said the little boy seemed frightened and confused. When they entered the unlocked residence, they found an infant boy rolling around in his crib and no one else at home.
About an hour later, Iquado reportedly showed up. She told deputies she and Garcia-Vazquez were arguing the night before and she left to spend the night at her sister-in-law's. She said Garcia-Vazquez and her 13-year-old daughter were at the residence when she left.
Iguado's daughter turned up at a friend's house. She said when she left the house, Garcia-Vazquez was asleep.
He told deputies he left for work at 5:30 a.m., and thought the older girl was there to care for the children.
The little boys were placed in the care of Child Protective Services.
The couple appeared before East Fork Justice Jim EnEarl on Wednesday. He appointed Derrick Lopez to represent Iguado and Tod Young for Garcia-Vazquez.
"I left my kids with him (Garcia-Vazquez). I didn't know they were by themselves," Iquado said. "We were fighting, my daughter was there, too. I didn't know they were alone."
Iquado said she had no criminal history and asked to be released from jail.
EnEarl denied the request, but said she could bring it up July 7 when she returns to court.
"I have no priors," she said. "This is my first time in jail."
