Sarah Beam has been charged with endangering a child after officials made the discovery on 3 January.

The 41-year-old had driven her teenager to a COVID-19 testing site in Houston for confirmation he was infected.

Beam allegedly told officials she had put her son in the boot so she wouldn't get exposed to the virus.

The boy was discovered inside without any safety restraints, but was unharmed.

An official informed the mother that her son wouldn't be tested for coronavirus until he was moved to the backseat of the car - then left to inform the police.

The boy was in the backseat by the time she returned, and surveillance footage shows the child getting out of the boot and into the car.

Beam, who had worked as a teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks school district for 10 years, had been placed on administrative leave.