Mother charged after attempted drowning of three children in Kenefick

The mother of three children who were allegedly subjected to an attempted drowning at their home in Kenefick has now been charged.

According to Capt. David Meyers, spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Jessica Quintana is facing two counts of Injury to a Child and one count of Assault Causing Bodily Injury, all classified as first-degree felonies.

Meyers said Quintana was scheduled to be released from a Houston hospital at noon on Friday, Oct. 24, but investigators from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office arrived early and waited for her discharge. She was taken into custody at 10:07 a.m. and will be transported to the Liberty County Jail to be booked on the charges.

The charges stem from a Sept. 29 incident at the Quintana family’s home on the 9100 block of FM 1008 in Kenefick. Deputies were dispatched to the residence after receiving reports that several children were in distress in a nearby pond.

When deputies arrived, all three children had already been pulled from the water, reportedly by their father. Deputies then located and pulled the mother, Jessica Quintana, from the pond. Emergency responders immediately began life-saving measures on the 11-year-old girl, who briefly regained consciousness. According to Capt. Meyers, the mother did not regain consciousness and was unable to breathe on her own at the scene.

Two of the children—a 15-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy—were taken to the hospital and later reported to be in good condition. The mother and the 11-year-old daughter were flown by air ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where both remained in critical condition following the incident. All three children have since been released from hospitals.

Meyers said the children’s father, Domingo Quintana, told investigators he heard a commotion in the front yard, possibly yelling from the children. While the pond sits about 75 feet from the family’s front door, the location where the incident occurred was at the far end of the pond. The father reportedly drove to that area after hearing the disturbance, though investigators have not specified whether he used a vehicle or an off-road utility cart.

The three children remain in the custody of Children’s Protective Services.

At the time of the incident, Domingo Quintana was detained on an animal cruelty investigation, but he has not been charged in connection with that offense. Authorities have not confirmed whether he will face additional charges related to the attempted drowning case.

According to Meyers, the investigation has been ongoing since the evening of the incident. A mugshot for Jessica Quintana is not available at this time.