A 3-year-old child was safely recovered Tuesday after Polk County deputies responded to a reported kidnapping in progress in the Livingston area.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in on December 16, 2025, prompting an immediate response from deputies and detectives, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol. When officers arrived, investigators determined that the child’s biological mother, Brandi Cox, had allegedly assaulted the child’s stepmother and forcibly taken the child before fleeing in a vehicle.
Authorities say Cox had previously abandoned the child. Investigators also learned that Cox’s sister, Lori Cox, and an unidentified male passenger assisted in the assault and kidnapping.
Detectives quickly worked to track down the suspects and locate the child. Within about an hour of the initial report, officers made contact with Brandi Cox, and the child was recovered unharmed.
Brandi Cox was arrested and charged with kidnapping, engaging in organized criminal activity, assault impeding breath, and child endangerment. Lori Cox was also taken into custody and charged with kidnapping, engaging in organized criminal activity, assault causing bodily injury, and two outstanding Class C warrants.
The unidentified male passenger has not been publicly identified, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office credited the rapid response and coordination between agencies for the safe recovery of the child and thanked the Texas Department of Public Safety for its assistance.
