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In a nightmarish true story, a Texas mother has been accused of giving her three kids NyQuil before trying to drown them in a pond. She is now behind bars. Jessica Quintana is 39 years old and lives in Liberty County. According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, she has been charged with two counts of injury to a child and one count of aggravated assault causing bodily injury. The disturbing incident occurred in the early hours of September 29 at the family’s property in Dayton. Authorities say Quintana and her children (6, 11, and 15 years old) were found near a pond on the property. By the time deputies arrived, all three were wet but thankfully alive. Quintana was still in the water, though. A deputy had to pull her out, according to ABC13 Houston. Captain David Meyers said that based on available evidence, these Texas investigators think Quintana took the children to the water “with the intent of all of them not surviving.” The children’s father, Domingo Quintana, was the one who called 911. He told dispatchers that his wife “poisoned his children with NyQuil and attempted to drown them in a lake.” Domingo initially claimed there was vodka mixed into the cold medicine, but investigators later confirmed no alcohol was involved. Texas police have not confirmed whether the children actually had NyQuil in their systems, but the father made sure there were first responders at the scene. He reportedly pulled his 11-year-old daughter from the water, and she was later hospitalized. Quintana was also hospitalized for weeks and underwent a mental health evaluation in custody. Authorities haven’t disclosed the results of it yet. After being released on Friday, she was booked into the Liberty County Jail without bond. ⚠️WARNING: This post describes attempted murder involving children. A Texas mother has been charged after allegedly dosing her three children with NyQuil and then attempting to drown them in a pond near their home. Jessica Quintana, 39, was arrested Friday after being released… pic.twitter.com/c9kbhNpAVF — True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) October 25, 2025 ALSO READ: Texas Couple Arrested for Child Abuse After 3-Year-Old Is Placed on Life Support But just days later, after the incident, Domingo, the father, was arrested on animal cruelty charges after deputies found a neglected cat in the home. He posted a $5,000 bond and was released. A Liberty police officer was later investigated by the Texas Rangers for allegedly using his badge to visit Domingo in jail and escort him upon release — raising serious questions about the case. Meanwhile, during a custody hearing, the children were afraid that they would be placed back with their father. According to Law&Crime’s Chris Stewart, the court then barred Domingo from seeing them. The kids are now in Child Protective Services (CPS) custody but are staying with their maternal grandparents. While Texas authorities pieced together a timeline of what happened that morning, many questions remain. Was this an act of desperation, mental illness, or something darker? RELATED: Newborn Abandoned in New York, Police Hunt for Woman After Heartbreaking Discovery Capt. Meyers said. “We know they (…) pretty much went into the water together. Based on the evidence we have, we believe that was the intent; they would drown and not wake up.” Prosecutors will most likely be releasing more information in the coming days. Quintana remains in jail, while the community struggles to process a story that feels almost unbelievable.
