Police: Baby found in car with passed-out parents,drugs

SAN BENITO — Officers arrested a man and a 16-year-old girl after finding the two passed out in their car with Xanax, Ecstasy, cocaine and their cold, crying baby early Tuesday morning, said Lt. Martin Morales, a San Benito police spokesman.

Police found the car about 5:30 a.m. parked and running in the middle of a traffic lane on the 200 block of East Stenger Street, Morales said. “The vehicle was on, the engine was running, and the lights were on, so at first (the arresting officer) thought it was a stalled vehicle type of thing.”

Police found Ernesto Treviño, 24, of San Benito, unconscious in the driver’s seat, Morales said. “He was basically slumped over the steering wheel, passed out.”

The 16-year-old mother, also from San Benito, sat unconscious in the passenger seat with the 11-month-old baby in her lap, Morales said.

“The baby was crying and cold and shivering,” he said. “The baby had one of those one-piece suits that has the arms and legs exposed.”

The arresting officer noted that Treviño was incoherent and looked for the man’s wallet to find some identification, Morales said. The officer instead found 9.9 grams of cocaine. Police also found 16 pills — Ecstasy and Xanax — and a small amount of marijuana.

“The mom and dad were basically passed out, you know, just not aware of their surroundings,” Morales said. “They didn’t even know where they were, they were so out of it.”

Both Treviño and the mother are being charged with drug possession and child endangerment, Morales said. Treviño is also being charged with driving while impaired.

He is set to be arraigned today, Morales said. The mother has already been taken to a juvenile detention center.

The baby has been placed with Treviño’s family members while the state’s Child Protective Services division investigates, Morales said.

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Michael Barajas is a reporter for the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen.