Authorities said they determined the child was left alone for about 30 minutes.
According to arrest affidavits, the mother had two plans. "Plan A" was to pack their belongings and leave the residence. "Plan B" was to roll her children into the water after they were knocked out from drinking a mix of alcohol and Nyquil.
The Liberty County Sheriff's Office said Jessica Quintana was arrested on several charges in connection with the near-drowning incident that left her and her three children hospitalized last month.
The mother said she left her 9-year-old daughter in the car with halfway open windows, food, a fan, water, and ice cubes, and returned eight hours later to find her child unresponsive, court documents said.
Court records reveal the woman's 11-year-old son, who has autism, was malnourished and was forced to live in a room filled with his own feces.
Detectives said they seized more than two dozen Social Security cards, over 45 identification cards, and more than a dozen credit cards, along with other items.