SEGUIN, Texas -- On Saturday around 3 p.m., Seguin Police started receiving several phone calls from concerned residents in reference to young children going door-to-door selling candy.
Police were able to round up 10 children, ranging in age from 9 to 14 years old. Each child was found walking in a neighborhood all alone.
Police say Carlos Pimental, 37, told the children he operated an after-school program that kept children off the streets and off drugs. Police say the program was not affiliated with any school.
Police said the children were instructed to go door-to-door and sell candy in exchange for a trip to Six Flags. However, police believe Pimental was operating solely for his own profit.
On Saturday, police say Pimental picked up the 10 children from San Antonio and drove them to Seguin. Police say he used a cargo van that had five seatbelts in it, including the one for the driver. Police say most of the children sat on the floor of the van.
Once in Seguin, they were dropped in various neighborhoods with their plastic tote of candy. They were told to be back at a certain meeting spot later in the day. But police intervened beforehand.
Seguin Detective Aaron Seidenberger said, "It's very dangerous. They're by themselves. They could be knocking on the door of a registered sex offender."
Pimental was arrested on charges of child abandonment and endangerment. He was released from the Guadalupe County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
