'Baby Jessica,' Now 40, Arrested in Texas

Authorities say charges against Jessica McClure Morales involve family violence assault
Posted Apr 14, 2026 2:03 PM CDT
'Baby Jessica,' Now 40, Arrested in Texas
Jessica McClure Morales' mugshot.   (Midland County Sheriff's Office)

The woman once known worldwide as "Baby Jessica" is back in the headlines, this time in a Texas arrest report. Authorities in Midland County say Jessica McClure Morales, now 40, was taken into custody Saturday night following a domestic disturbance at her home, reports YourBasin.com. She's charged with assault causing bodily injury involving family violence, according to arrest records. Deputies responded to a residence just before 10pm, per KTAL, but authorities have not yet detailed what allegedly occurred.

Morales was later released from the county detention center after posting bond. "Baby Jessica" became a household name in 1987, when, at 18 months old, she fell into an abandoned well in Midland and was rescued after nearly 60 hours in an operation that drew global attention. Morales received a $1.2 million trust fund from donors afterward, but says much of it was lost in the stock market crash of 2008. She and her husband have two grown children, per People.

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