Man arrested after leaving three young children inside RV following alleged assault

WINKLER COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – A Fort Worth man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and three children, before leaving the three children alone in an RV for an undetermined amount of time.

The Winkler County Sheriff’s Office said that at about 5:15am on Saturday, July 20, deputies responded to the Royal RV Park located at 907 North Roy Orbison Drive, in Wink, Texas, referencing three children aged 10 years old, nine years old, and five months old left unattended and unable to find their parents.

Deputies contacted the reporting party, a neighbor of the children, who reported the children had shown up at his RV at around 2am. The children reported that their mother was missing after being violently assaulted by her boyfriend, who was also missing after leaving the children at their RV.

After interviewing the children, deputies determined that the mother was reportedly rendered unconscious in Odessa, Texas by her boyfriend. Upon stopping for fuel in Ward County, the mother escaped the vehicle in an attempt to find help when the boyfriend drove off with the children, leaving her behind.

The boyfriend, later identified as 38-year-old Mike Mares, of Fort Worth, then drove the children to their RV in Wink, leaving them and telling them he was going to look for their mother. The children reported Mares then left them but took their one-year-old sister, who was also missing.

Deputies contacted at their RV and Mares, who returned at an unknown time but did not question why or report that the children were no longer at the RV because he was “tired,” was located with injuries that indicate an assault.

Mares was placed under custodial arrest and the Texas Rangers were notified to assist due to their available resources. Shortly after, the adult victim and her one-year-old daughter were located safe.

WCSO said the adult victim sustained several injuries that indicated violent assault. The five-month-old  child also had injuries indicative of assault. Mares was transported to the Winkler County Detention Center and charged with the following offenses on a $410,000 bond:

• Four charges of second-degree felony abandonment and endangerment of a child imminent danger of bodily injury
• Third degree felony injury to a child with intent bodily injury
• Unlawful restraint, a Class A misdemeanor
• Family Violence – Assault Bodily Injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

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