JCSO Reunites Lost Toddler with Family in Jasper

Photo by Rita Shipp

JASPER, Texas — What could have been a tragedy turned into a moment of relief Tuesday morning when the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) successfully reunited a lost toddler with his family.

At approximately 11:03 a.m. on August 26, 2025, deputies responded to the intersection of County Road 135 and County Road 136 in Jasper after receiving reports of a small child wandering in the roadway. A mail carrier first spotted the child, who was later identified as a 3-year-old boy.

Deputies immediately began a door-to-door search to locate the child’s guardians. Just over an hour later, at 12:05 p.m., the boy’s uncle was located and responded to the scene.

According to investigators, the child had been in the care of two uncles. One uncle had left the residence while the other remained home, asleep with the child. At some point, the toddler woke up, opened the door, and managed to leave the home unnoticed.

Thankfully, the child was unharmed. Per protocol, he was released to his mother by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, Child Protective Services (CPS), which will continue to follow up with the family. Authorities confirmed no charges are being filed at this time.

Sheriff Chuck Havard praised the quick response of deputies and assisting agencies, noting how fortunate it was that the situation ended safely.

“When a call comes in about a child alone in the roadway, every second matters,” Sheriff Havard said. “Our deputies and DPS worked quickly, and we are beyond thankful this child was found safe and reunited with his family. Incidents like this remind us how important it is for neighbors and community members — like the mail carrier who spotted the child — to stay alert and look out for one another.”

The Sheriff’s Office extended its gratitude to the deputies and DPS for their immediate action and to the mail carrier whose quick thinking likely prevented harm.