Long stretches of farmland meet peaceful seclusion in Liberty County, Texas. On a 300-acre estate, however, an awful thing was taking place beneath the calm. According to authorities, Jessica Quintana, 39, drugged her three children (ages 6, 11, and 15) with tequila and NyQuil on the evening of September 29 and made an effort to drown them. When deputies arrived, they found Quintana and her children unresponsive in the estate’s pond. Only the 11-year-old was in critical condition; the others survived.
Their father, 61-year-old Domingo Quintana, pulled them from the water before help arrived. It stunned seasoned investigators as an attempted murder-suicide. What could drive an ordinary Texas mother to such an act? As police and prosecutors pieced together the evidence, a backstory began to emerge. Jessica and Domingo Quintana lived in near-seclusion on their property in rural Dayton, Texas, about an hour northeast of Houston.
On paper, they appeared to be an affluent family living the dream. In reality, reports suggest the home was more of a prison. According to ABC13, Jessica’s marriage had been under severe strain. Investigators are still probing whether domestic abuse or controlling behavior played a role in her plan to flee. Sources cited in charging documents reveal a very toxic dynamic. There was isolation, substance abuse, and instability when it came to the family’s inner emotions.
Jessica reportedly made two escape plans. Plan A was to pack up the children and leave. When that failed, she turned to Plan B: a murder-suicide she believed was her only way out. According to the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office, Quintana told her children to drink the mix of alcohol and medication before heading to the water.
My worst fears in the Melodee Buzzard case…
This “mom”, Jessica Quintana, gave her kids NyQuil and then tried to drown them.
Their father ultimately saved them, but he also has legal issues charged with animal cruelty.
Quintana was charged with child endangerment and other… pic.twitter.com/shPwusgSKf
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) October 24, 2025
Prosecutors say she planned to —
“Roll them into the water once they were knocked out.”
Her eldest daughter later told detectives that her mother made the kids believe they were leaving the estate for good. But when “Plan A” failed, she woke them in the early hours of September 29 to execute “Plan B.” District Attorney Jennifer Bergman confirmed that toxicology results supported the children’s statements.
Bergman told KHOU 11:
“We know they consumed these substances based [on] (…) toxicology records and (…) witnesses.”
By dawn, Domingo found his wife and children in the pond and pulled them out. The four spent weeks recovering in the hospital. When Jessica was discharged, she was arrested and charged with attempted aggravated assault, causing bodily injury and two counts of injury to a child. These charges could land her decades behind bars.
The Liberty County neighbors told reporters they had rarely seen the Quintanas, which is an odd fact on its own. Authorities have placed the three children under Child Protective Services (CPS) custody, who are now living with relatives. Both parents are barred from contact. Domingo faces separate charges of animal abuse on their household pet as well.
Prosecutors are keeping quiet about motives, citing an ongoing investigation. Still, the case has reignited debate over mental health awareness, domestic violence, and the crises that fester in rural isolation.
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