Community outraged, working mom jailed after kids survive house fire

DISCLAIMER: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty

TEXARKANA, Tx (KTAL/KMSS) – The community is gathering around a woman who was arrested earlier this week after police say she endangered her children by leaving them at home while she worked. 5 hours into her shift, their house went up in flames.

In a since-deleted post, the Texarkana Texas Police Department announced on Facebook the arrest of 29-year-old Hilda Xona Cojoc, who was arrested on Sunday, June 29, 2025, for Abandoning/Endangering a Child, after the department says her children were found to be home alone during a house fire.

Police say around 12:50 that afternoon, they were called to a fire in the 1900 block of Walnut Street where flames were shooting from the roof of the home.

Neighbors were able to help the two young boys, aged 7 and 10, across the street, and authorities were alerted to the fire.

When speaking to officers, the boys reported that their mom had left them home alone around 8 a.m. to go to work. Officers contacted the mother, and she immediately arrived at the scene, where she was then arrested.

The department shares in the post “…because of the obvious danger the kids were in, she was arrested. She was booked into the Bi-State Jail with a bond later set at $150,000.”

The department continued, “We’re just incredibly grateful this didn’t turn into something even worse.  This could have been ended in absolute tragedy.” ending with the hashtag “NotInMyNeighborhood” and posting her mugshot.

Now with over 1,000 Facebook posts, Texarkana residents are flooding Facebook with opinions, the majority in support of the mother.

One Facebook User “$150,000 bond, are you kidding me?! I’m reposting to highlight the injustice of our justice system for the economically disadvantaged.”

Another “A hard working mother treated as a criminal ; because she was working to provide for her two children and unfortunately an accident happened.”

Some Facebook users even challenge that the children’s ages are not an issue.

“A 10-year-old child is old enough to stay home alone and watch after their 7-year-old sibling if a parent says they are. What we need here is an activist judge who actually wants to do something GOOD. Give this mother a BREAK!”

The community is also putting action behind their words.

A GoFundMe was created in support of the mother on July 2, and in less than 24 hours, the fundraiser had already received 119 donations totaling just over $5,000.

Supporters did not stop there. A petition requesting the reconsideration and reduction of her bond, posted on Change.org, now has over 1,100 signatures.

“Members of her church are coming together to support her and organize a plan of action… While we acknowledge the seriousness of the incident involving the fire and her two young children, we believe that the current bond amount is excessively high given the circumstances.” They continue, “We recognize the need to protect children and prevent neglect, but we also believe in fairness and proportionality in the justice system. A bond this high may impose undue hardship on Ms. Cojoc and her family, limiting her ability to prepare her defense and care for her children’s welfare. We ask the court to consider lowering the bond to a more reasonable amount that balances public safety with Ms. Cojoc’s rights and circumstances.”

The children are currently in the care of CPS.