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A Southwest Independent School District police officer is facing a state jail felony charge after San Antonio police say a five-year-old boy was found alone and crying in an apartment hallway in the middle of the night.
Melanie Gonzales, 23, was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center and charged with abandoning a child without intent to return, according to court records cited by KSAT.
The 3:45 a.m. Call
San Antonio police responded to a home in the 8200 block of Inner Circle Drive on San Antonio’s southeast side at about 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, August 30. A caller had reported hearing a child crying in a hallway.
Officers found a five-year-old boy alone. The boy told police he had been left by himself for an unknown amount of time, according to SAPD. No injuries to the child were reported.
Police say the person responsible for the child returned to the home and was arrested there.
The Charge
Gonzales is charged with abandoning or endangering a child without intent to return — a state jail felony under Texas Penal Code 22.041. The offense carries a penalty of 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and a fine of up to $10,000.
She was booked on Monday, August 31, and released the same day after posting $10,000 in bond, according to Bexar County court records.
Two Years on the Force — And a Commendation
The Southwest ISD Police Department confirmed to KSAT that Gonzales had been employed as a school resource officer for approximately two years. The district said the arrest did not happen on district property and did not involve a Southwest ISD student.
The district also confirmed that Gonzales resigned following her arrest. According to Hoodline, she was recognized at an April 2024 ceremony for excellence in service to the district.
The Southwest ISD Police Department fields more than 25 fully commissioned officers across the district’s 19 campuses, serving roughly 15,000 students in southwest Bexar County. Chief Albert Alvarez, a 23-year law enforcement veteran, has led the department since December 2025.
What Happens Next
No court dates or attorney information have been made public yet. It is also unclear whether the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which licenses peace officers in Texas, will take action against Gonzales’s certification.
The case mirrors another recent Bexar County arrest: in April, a San Antonio firefighter-engineer was charged with the same offense after a 12-year-old was found living alone.
KSAT’s coverage is the source of record for this story: [Southwest ISD police officer arrested on child endangerment charge, SAPD says](https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/09/04/southwest-isd-police-officer-arrested-on-child-endangerment-charge-sapd-says/). Additional detail from [Hoodline](https://hoodline.com/2026/09/southwest-isd-officer-arrested-after-5-year-old-found-alone-crying-in-hallway/).
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