Parents charged after allegedly leaving their 5 kids home alone, sometimes for days, records show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Two parents have been charged for allegedly leaving their kids home alone, sometimes for days at a time.

According to court records, Danny Carl Neal, 42, and Chantel Nicole Caldwell, 39, face child abandonment charges. On Monday, Nov. 4, officials responded to reports of their five children, ages 3, 5, 6, 7, and 12, being left alone.

Records state an older sibling picked the children up from their Houston hotel for trick-or-treating on Halloween. After not hearing back from their parents, the sibling reportedly cared for them that night.

After still not hearing from them the next day, the older sibling called the hotel where the family was staying, only to find out that the parents had checked out the day before.

According to another family member, she had been watching the kids along with the older sibling since the parents had not been heard of.

Officials also discovered the children do not attend school.

One child told investigators they were left unsupervised for three consecutive days the week before Halloween, adding that they "did not have anything to eat and have a toddler who cannot fend for himself."

The children said they had been left alone more than once and would sometimes not see their parents for up to three days, documents state.

Authorities said the kids are now safe.