A Houston home daycare operator has been arrested and charged with five felony counts of child endangerment after police say she left five of her clients’ children in a hot car. At the same time, she went shopping, taking only her own two children inside with her.
Dominique Wilson, 37, was taken into custody on August 1 after the incident outside a Kroger on Telephone Road. Authorities allege that Wilson parked her vehicle with the engine off, windows barely cracked, and left the five children, three infants and two between the ages of 5 and 8, inside as temperatures neared 100 degrees.
A Kroger manager noticed the children and rushed to help. “I came across the cop and I saw the Kroger manager running with two kids, one on her arm and another one in a carrier, running, screaming for the officer, ‘I just found these two kids in the car with no AC on,’” a witness told reporters. Another store associate called for help, saying the suspect claimed the AC was on, but the children were sweating and visibly distressed.
At Wilson’s initial court appearance, a magistrate described the situation in stark terms: “There were five children in danger, who were found red-faced and in distress, crying with the window barely cracked and the car not running. That is a very dangerous situation.”
It remains unclear exactly how long the children were left in the vehicle. Police and first responders evaluated them at the scene, but no hospitalizations have been reported. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed it has opened its own investigation into possible abuse or neglect and will forward findings to the state licensing authority.
Domonique Lenise Wilson is charged with five felony counts of child endangerment after police said she left the kids alone in a car with no AC. https://t.co/GdsL1cBSb7
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) August 4, 2025
Court records show Wilson has operated a home daycare called “My Lil Angels” from her apartment for more than three years. A routine state inspection in April reported no violations. Neighbors expressed shock over the allegations, with one resident saying, “It’s super hot in Houston. I wouldn’t even leave my dog in the car, so I don’t know what she was thinking.”
Wilson’s bond was set at $10,000 for each of the five counts, totaling $50,000. Should she post bond, she is barred from supervising any children under the age of 17. She is due back in court on October 15.
Prosecutors say the case highlights the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, particularly during extreme heat. According to child safety experts, a car’s interior temperature can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, even with the windows cracked. A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, meaning heatstroke can occur quickly and can be fatal.
While Wilson has not made any public statement, the allegations have drawn sharp criticism from community members and parents alike. Police say the swift action by the Kroger staff likely prevented a tragedy.
If convicted, Wilson faces the possibility of several years in prison for each felony count. Authorities have urged parents and caregivers to remain vigilant, stressing that even a brief period in a parked vehicle can be life-threatening for a child.
