Two children dead after left in car for 15 hours, mother charged

SAN ANTONIO -- (KABB) -- A Kerr County woman was charged with child endangerment after her two daughters, ages 1 and 2, were apparently left inside a car for a period of about 15 hours, according to a statement from Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer.

The two girls passed away on Thursday at University Hospital. They were identified as Brynn Hawkins, 1, and Addyson Overgard-Eddy, 2.

According to Hierholzer, the children's mother, Amanda Hawkins, 19, showed up at Peterson Regional Medical Center with the victims, claiming they had collapsed while running around and smelling flowers at Flat Rock Lake and may have gotten into something poisonous.

But investigators said they later determined the children were intentionally left in their mother's car overnight, until about noon on June 7th, while Hawkins and a 16-year-old male friend were inside another friend's home.

Sheriff Hierholzer said that at some point the 16-year-old went out to the car and slept for a while but then went back inside the house. Hierholzer told us he also understood someone inside the house could even hear the children crying and told her to bring them inside the house but she didn't. He said the children were without food, water or restroom visits during their 15 hours in the car.

The sheriff stated after returning to the car and finding the children in trouble, Hawkins did not immediately take the children to a hospital. He said she instead tried to cover up the incident by bathing and redressing the children. Hierholzer said it was his understanding the children were unconscious at this point.

Sheriff Hierholzer said Hawkins finally sought medical care after being talked into it. After arriving at the hospital in Kerrville, the children were taken to University Hospital. Hierholzer said sometime around 5 p.m. Thursday, both girls were taken off ventilator systems and passed away.

The sheriff told us their records showed 'no history' with Hawkins but that investigators determined it was not the first time she had left the children in a car.