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The parents and uncle of a 4-year-old boy are behind bars after the child brought a plastic bag containing crack cocaine to his East Dallas charter school this week.
The parents, Joshua and Christy Ruiz, both 26, are being held on a charge of felony child endangerment. Joshua Ruiz, and the uncle, Moses Ruiz, 21, each face two felony counts of drug distribution.
The circumstances that led to the trio’s arrest began about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Reconciliation Academy at the 4300 block of Bryan Street when a teacher saw the boy “playing with something in his pocket,” police records state.
He handed the bag to the teacher, who realized it appeared to contain an illegal substance. The school’s principal, Michael Partain, took the bag and called police, records show.
“Our staff member saw something that concerned her,” Partain said. “The student had a wrapped plastic package with a rubber band around it.”
Partain said about 200 children attend the charter school, which primarily serves low-income children from pre-K to third grade. He said no child at the school ingested any of the substance.
“Our concern is absolutely for the well-being and safety of the child and the well-being and safety of all of our children,” Partain said.
The boy told police that his father left the bag containing cocaine in the kitchen. “He put the bag in his pocket and brought it to school” while Joshua Ruiz slept, the records state.
The child told police that he often heard his father speak about “cocaine.” He and two other children living in the home told police that they knew cocaine was kept in a black Michael Jordan shoe box in a closet. They told police they saw Joshua Ruiz give cocaine to other people.
While police were investigating, Moses Ruiz arrived at the school and tried to pick up the children. The children were not released to him. After he left, police were tipped that he was headed to the couple’s home in the 3500 block of Frank Street to hide the drugs and related evidence.
Police officers watched him enter the house and leave after placing a black trash bag in his car trunk. Officers stopped his vehicle and he allowed officers to search the car. Officers found the trash bag in the trunk.
Inside the trash bag, police found the shoe box containing cocaine, heroin, prescription drugs, credit cards and a ledger. They also found a clear toolbox containing several scales, empty plastic baggies, pill bottles and razor blades.
“Officer, I want to be honest with you, there is illegal stuff in that bag but it’s not mine,” Moses Ruiz told police, according to police records. “I was just helping my brother. I don’t really have anything to do with this.”
Christy Ruiz was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, authorities say, because she knew drugs were in the home.
A Child Protective Services spokeswoman said the 4-year-old and his 5-year-old sibling have been placed in foster care. Two other children, ages 10 and 11, are staying with relatives.
No one answered the door at the couple’s home on Thursday. A CPS worker had left a card on the door.
All three of the adult Ruizes have criminal pasts involving drugs.
In 2007, Joshua Ruiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison on several drug distribution charges. A few months later, the sentence was reduced to eight years of probation. Last August, he was arrested on suspicion of attacking his wife. The felony charge was later reduced to a Class A misdemeanor, and he was sentenced to three days in jail.
Christy Ruiz received deferred adjudication probation last year after she was caught with cocaine during a 2010 traffic stop. She also received deferred probation over a 2011 incident in which she struck an officer during a confrontation as police investigated drug dealing in an apartment complex.
Moses Ruiz was facing a pending felony drug charge after authorities say he fraudulently tried to buy hydrocodone at a Garland Wal-Mart in December 2011.
Christy Ruiz’s bond is set at $100,000. Moses Ruiz is being held on bonds totaling $100,000. Joshua Ruiz’s bonds total $600,000. All three were being held late Thursday in the Dallas County jail.
The parents, Joshua and Christy Ruiz, both 26, are being held on a charge of felony child endangerment. Joshua Ruiz, and the uncle, Moses Ruiz, 21, each face two felony counts of drug distribution.
The circumstances that led to the trio’s arrest began about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Reconciliation Academy at the 4300 block of Bryan Street when a teacher saw the boy “playing with something in his pocket,” police records state.
He handed the bag to the teacher, who realized it appeared to contain an illegal substance. The school’s principal, Michael Partain, took the bag and called police, records show.
“Our staff member saw something that concerned her,” Partain said. “The student had a wrapped plastic package with a rubber band around it.”
Partain said about 200 children attend the charter school, which primarily serves low-income children from pre-K to third grade. He said no child at the school ingested any of the substance.
“Our concern is absolutely for the well-being and safety of the child and the well-being and safety of all of our children,” Partain said.
The boy told police that his father left the bag containing cocaine in the kitchen. “He put the bag in his pocket and brought it to school” while Joshua Ruiz slept, the records state.
The child told police that he often heard his father speak about “cocaine.” He and two other children living in the home told police that they knew cocaine was kept in a black Michael Jordan shoe box in a closet. They told police they saw Joshua Ruiz give cocaine to other people.
While police were investigating, Moses Ruiz arrived at the school and tried to pick up the children. The children were not released to him. After he left, police were tipped that he was headed to the couple’s home in the 3500 block of Frank Street to hide the drugs and related evidence.
Police officers watched him enter the house and leave after placing a black trash bag in his car trunk. Officers stopped his vehicle and he allowed officers to search the car. Officers found the trash bag in the trunk.
Inside the trash bag, police found the shoe box containing cocaine, heroin, prescription drugs, credit cards and a ledger. They also found a clear toolbox containing several scales, empty plastic baggies, pill bottles and razor blades.
“Officer, I want to be honest with you, there is illegal stuff in that bag but it’s not mine,” Moses Ruiz told police, according to police records. “I was just helping my brother. I don’t really have anything to do with this.”
Christy Ruiz was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, authorities say, because she knew drugs were in the home.
A Child Protective Services spokeswoman said the 4-year-old and his 5-year-old sibling have been placed in foster care. Two other children, ages 10 and 11, are staying with relatives.
No one answered the door at the couple’s home on Thursday. A CPS worker had left a card on the door.
All three of the adult Ruizes have criminal pasts involving drugs.
In 2007, Joshua Ruiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison on several drug distribution charges. A few months later, the sentence was reduced to eight years of probation. Last August, he was arrested on suspicion of attacking his wife. The felony charge was later reduced to a Class A misdemeanor, and he was sentenced to three days in jail.
Christy Ruiz received deferred adjudication probation last year after she was caught with cocaine during a 2010 traffic stop. She also received deferred probation over a 2011 incident in which she struck an officer during a confrontation as police investigated drug dealing in an apartment complex.
Moses Ruiz was facing a pending felony drug charge after authorities say he fraudulently tried to buy hydrocodone at a Garland Wal-Mart in December 2011.
Christy Ruiz’s bond is set at $100,000. Moses Ruiz is being held on bonds totaling $100,000. Joshua Ruiz’s bonds total $600,000. All three were being held late Thursday in the Dallas County jail.
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