Identified! TX - Midland, living Male, 13-17, can't communicate his name, found near Ward & Shandon, 30 Jan 2023 - Cordarius Lashun Pegues

[Bounceycat]

Court documents: Grandmother identifies missing boy

Charlotte Pegues was arrested on August 21, for Exploitation of a Disabled Individual.

www.kcbd.com

Apparently, his grandmother was the one to call in and identify her daughter as Cordarius's mother. Mother was still receiving his disability benefits.

 

[iamshadow21]

Court documents: Grandmother identifies missing boy

Charlotte Pegues was arrested on August 21, for Exploitation of a Disabled Individual.

www.kcbd.com

Apparently, his grandmother was the one to call in and identify her daughter as Cordarius's mother. Mother was still receiving his disability benefits.

So the right person finally saw his photo. I hoped they would. And hopefully, with benefits fraud and unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, his mother won't be getting him back any time soon.

MOO

 

[DS2021]

I don't even know how the state works with disabled adults who are unable to care for themselves. There are few state schools remaining (Shudder)
I don't believe he would do well in a group home because he's not at that level. He needs constant adult supervision.

I can't speak about Texas specifically, but I do have some experience with adult group homes for intellectually disabled adults. If he were in my state, he would likely have a housemate or two but he'd have his own room. They would make sure his daily needs are met, and would be able to go on outings in the community. He would have 24 hour staffing, he wouldnt be alone. They would work with him on building skills. Many of these placements dont always focus on discharge, meaning he could stay there indefinitely. I could definitely see him thrive in that environment.

Ofc that's my experience and im not from anywhere near Texas.

 

[Keane]

I can't speak about Texas specifically, but I do have some experience with adult group homes for intellectually disabled adults. If he were in my state, he would likely have a housemate or two but he'd have his own room. They would make sure his daily needs are met, and would be able to go on outings in the community. He would have 24 hour staffing, he wouldnt be alone. They would work with him on building skills. Many of these placements dont always focus on discharge, meaning he could stay there indefinitely. I could definitely see him thrive in that environment.

This is my experience as well, with a mentally disabled family member in Massachusetts.

 

[Friday Fan]

I can't speak about Texas specifically, but I do have some experience with adult group homes for intellectually disabled adults. If he were in my state, he would likely have a housemate or two but he'd have his own room. They would make sure his daily needs are met, and would be able to go on outings in the community. He would have 24 hour staffing, he wouldnt be alone. They would work with him on building skills. Many of these placements dont always focus on discharge, meaning he could stay there indefinitely. I could definitely see him thrive in that environment.

Ofc that's my experience and im not from anywhere near Texas.

Texas has state schools and two types of group homes. Sounds like one of the group home are for people who are integrating into the community and stresses independence. We don't have the best social services here. Our state has been caught numerous times with agendas to limit Special Education services to as many students as possible.

As a parent of a child who received services, I can attest to this. I was even told, "We don't have to follow federal law".

Confirmed: Texas Denied Special Education to Thousands of Kids

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) confirmed that Texas illegally kept at least 32,000 students from getting the special education services they need. Read more.

www.understood.org

Residential options for adults: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/def...s/disability/residential-options-brochure.pdf

 

[Stunned]

Why didn’t the mother just turn him over to the state? Money? Was It worth it? IMO

 

[John/Jane Doe]

https://www.facebook.com/100064424213161/posts/685178793639588

 

[Oakie]

I just saw this on another website! I'm so grateful that we know who he REALLY is once again.

p.s. The surname is pronounced pa-geese. It's Jamaican, and I know this because my area used to have a TV newsman with that name.

Not Jamaican, it's originally French. The name occurs in the PeeDee region of the Carolinas.

 

[Springrain]

I'm SO glad Cordarius was identified. How safe, clean and happy he looks in the recent photos makes me so happy.
Of course it remains to be seen what will happen now that we know his identity, and the fact that he is an adult, quite a bit older than previously thought. I am in graduate school for special education, but I can't speak to what his situation might look like at this point since I'm in an another state and focusing on K-12. I hope wherever he ends up, he is safe and happy.

There are many options for helping Cordarius to communicate, such as AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) systems. Since he can write his name we know he has writing ability to build upon!

 

[iamshadow21]

I'm SO glad Cordarius was identified. How safe, clean and happy he looks in the recent photos makes me so happy.
Of course it remains to be seen what will happen now that we know his identity, and the fact that he is an adult, quite a bit older than previously thought. I am in graduate school for special education, but I can't speak to what his situation might look like at this point since I'm in an another state and focusing on K-12. I hope wherever he ends up, he is safe and happy.

There are many options for helping Cordarius to communicate, such as AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) systems. Since he can write his name we know he has writing ability to build upon!

Yeah, he has some degree of foundational literacy, and his aural comprehension seems good. There's a lot there to build on to improve his ability to communicate and be understood.

MOO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I just hope that because he is now known to be an adult, he's not just tossed out into the world to fend for himself.

Or forced to go back to his "mother" because he feels there's no other choice.

 

[thefragile7393]

Would his age be an issue in that scenario? Hes legally an adult, tho imo hes clearly incapable of caring for himself. I hope the foster family gets to keep caring for him. I don't see why that should have to change.

Depends on state laws, but they can be under the care of the state and live in different types of housing situations. They would be basically wards of the state. There is the possibility of legal adoption possibly as well

 

[thefragile7393]

Perhaps from abandoning him. Perhaps from the condition he was in. Perhaps she continued to get his checks and cash them. I'm holding on to a little compassion for mom, pending further information. We at websleuths always wish that overwhelmed parents would do something other than hurt or kill those in their care - if she was unable to physically or mentally care for him, I'm not going to judge her too harshly without knowing her story as this story has a happy ending. I have a child with a chronic illness - it's hard but I have a stable family unit and enough resources including good health care. I very often wonder how those less fortunate than my wife and I cope with this difficult situation - this may be the genesis of my little bit of compassion.

ETA - I teared up a little seeing how healthy and happy he looks in those pictures.

Although this is kind, there are legal ways to place a vulnerable adult in custody. Meanwhile the charges point to the possibility that she was collecting his money but not actively caring for him. Someone who is simply overwhelmed won’t just abandon someone and keep collecting state benefits and never report them missing.

Also from one of the MSM links:
“Pegues was unable to show any proof that she was taking care of Cordarius. Pegues also consented to a search that revealed hazardous and unhygienic living conditions.”

So no. iMO she isn’t deserving of much

 

[EllaMinnowP]

Mother of Cordarius, the nonverbal 'teen', gets arraigned Friday morning and pled not guilty

Charlotte Latasha Pegues was indicted by a grand jury on exploitation charges on Nov. 14. She faced an arraignment Friday and pled not guilty.

www.newswest9.com

Published: 5:16 PM CST December 14, 2023
Updated: 4:58 PM CST December 15, 2023

The mother of Cordarius Pegues, the unidentified nonverbal person from earlier this year, faced her arraignment Friday morning and pled not guilty.

Charlotte Latasha Pegues, 47, was indicted by a grand jury of exploitation of a disabled individual on Nov. 14.

…

According to a reporter on scene at the arraignment, Pegues was appointed an attorney and as of right now the plea is not guilty.

Timothy Flathers is a district attorney for Midland County, and he is prosecuting the case against Pegues.

Next steps include either a plea deal or trial.
.

MOO: I hope Cordarius is being well cared for, and feeling as happy as he looked in the last image that we saw of him. It was heartwarming and reassuring to see. I respect and understand the reasons why we aren’t entitled to know his current situation, but that doesn’t stop me from wondering about him, and looking for any updates.

 

[EllaMinnowP]

Trial date currently set for mother of Cordarius

Charlotte Pegues will be having a trial on April 15 for exploitation of a disabled individual, according to Midland District Clerk's Office.

www.newswest9.com

From the article:

Charlotte Pegues now faces a trial set for April 15, according to the Midland District Clerk's Office, which is subject to change. Her first pretrial will be Jan. 18 and her final pretrial will be Feb. 15.

….

We will continue to follow this trial and keep you updated as we learn more.

 

[txsleuth70]

I can't speak about Texas specifically, but I do have some experience with adult group homes for intellectually disabled adults. If he were in my state, he would likely have a housemate or two but he'd have his own room. They would make sure his daily needs are met, and would be able to go on outings in the community. He would have 24 hour staffing, he wouldnt be alone. They would work with him on building skills. Many of these placements dont always focus on discharge, meaning he could stay there indefinitely. I could definitely see him thrive in that environment.

Ofc that's my experience and im not from anywhere near Texas.

Texas is the exact same. He would become a ward of the state and move into a 'state school'. They are no longer called state schools, but the concept is the same. Adult day hab during the day. Residential home care at night. Usually a home care manager and several aides depending on the total number of young men in the house.

 

[mtlupy]

As an autistic person, this case continues to weigh on my heart. I hope that he's okay and that the people who abandoned him get the punishment they deserve.

 

[DS2021]

GUILTY: Cordarius’s mother takes a plea deal admitting guilt in Exploitation of a Disabled Individual case

47-year-old Charlotte Latasha Pegues has plead guilty after being arrested in August 2023, for Exploitation of a Disabled Individual.

www.cbs7.com

GUILTY: Cordarius’s mother takes a plea deal admitting guilt in Exploitation of a Disabled Individual case

Pegues was also sentenced to jail time of 10 years, but this was probated for a term of 5 years, meaning she will not serve the prison sentence if she completes all the conditions of her probation.

She also has to pay back the welfare money she collected while he was unidentified

 

[iulia]

I was searching for updates on Cordarius and found an interesting piece written by Timothy Flathers, First Assistant District Attorney in Midland County about his case, with a small update at the end.

The curious case of Cordarius | Texas District & County Attorneys Association

By Timothy Flathers First Assistant District Attorney in Midland County A case recently handled by our office took turn after turn that no one could have predicted, reaching a conclusion we never…

www.tdcaa.com

 

[Megnut]

I was searching for updates on Cordarius and found an interesting piece written by Timothy Flathers, First Assistant District Attorney in Midland County about his case, with a small update at the end.

The curious case of Cordarius | Texas District & County Attorneys Association

By Timothy Flathers First Assistant District Attorney in Midland County A case recently handled by our office took turn after turn that no one could have predicted, reaching a conclusion we never…

www.tdcaa.com

From the article, Cordarius is doing well in his current placement, as an adult.

"It’s stories like Cordarius’s, the tragic human drama of a mother–son relationship that is simply beyond the com- prehension of most, that illustrate so well those situations that are often the hardest to make sense of: not evil, just human."