Charges Filed in Deaths of Four Children at 2600 Greens Road

April 20, 2009 - Charges have been filed against a suspect, following a fatal traffic accident in which a vehicle went into a Houston bayou, leading to the deaths of four children at 2600 Greens Road about 4:45 p.m. on Saturday (Apr. 18).

Chanton Briand Jenkins (B/m, DOB: 7-14-76), of Houston, is charged with four counts of intoxication manslaughter in the 232nd State District Court.  The identities of the four victims are pending verification by the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

HPD Vehicular Crimes Division Sergeants D. Morgan and P. Casares, Senior Police Officer D. Schlichter, and Police Officer L. Ho reported:

Jenkins was traveling east in the 2600 block of Greens Road in a gray Lincoln LS when he lost control and went into the bayou.  There were eight people in the car, including Jenkins, an adult front-seat passenger, and six children ranging in age from one to 11 years old.

Prior to entering the water, the rear and both passenger windows shattered.  Jenkins, the adult passenger, and a 10-year-old in the back seat escaped.  The other five children went down with the vehicle. 

Hours later, the bodies of three of the children were recovered by the HPD Dive Team.  Early Sunday morning (Apr. 19), a heavy wrecker pulled the Lincoln from the bayou and discovered no other children inside.  Later that day, the body of a one-year-old child was discovered by a HPD helicopter about half a mile south of Greens Road.  The fifth child remains missing.

The investigation is continuing.

KJS/JC/VHS
Inc. #055439309

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200 .