Texas Teenager Charged After Allegedly Offering Infant to Stranger
An 18-year-old mother faces charges of abandoning and endangering a child after an incident at a San Antonio bus stop.
A Texas teenager has been arrested and charged with abandoning and endangering a child after allegedly attempting to give her one-month-old son to a stranger. Karla Ibarra, 18, was taken into custody on September 13 in San Antonio.
According to reports, Ibarra approached Jennifer Benavides at a bus stop, initially asking to use her phone. Benavides recounted that Ibarra then offered her the infant, stating she intended to give him away. Ibarra then handed the baby to Benavides, along with his birth certificate, Medicaid card, and Social Security card.
Benavides took Ibarra and the infant to a nearby friend's residence. Shortly after arriving, Ibarra allegedly left the child with Benavides and the friend and departed in an Uber. Benavides and her friend subsequently contacted the police.
Ibarra returned later that evening and was arrested. She was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $7,000 bond and later released on September 15 after posting bail. Court records indicate she has been assigned a court-appointed attorney and has a pre-indictment hearing scheduled for January 20, 2027.
The charge against Ibarra is classified as a state jail felony in Texas. If convicted, she could face between six months and two years in jail, along with a fine of up to $10,000.
Following Ibarra's arrest, Child Protective Services confirmed the infant has been placed with relatives. Benavides expressed relief that she was the person Ibarra approached, noting the availability of resources like Texas's Safe Haven Law. This law allows parents to anonymously surrender unharmed infants 60 days old or younger at designated locations, including fire stations, EMS stations, and hospitals, without legal repercussions.