The woman who was known as “Baby Jessica” while the world watched her being rescued from a well in 1987 was reportedly arrested following a domestic disturbance in Texas.
The Saturday night incident occurred in Midland, which is also where Jessica McClure Morales was trapped 22-feet underground for nearly 60 hours when she was a baby.
Now 40, Morales is charged with assault causing bodily injury involving family violence. She was taken into custody by the Midland County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday night, according to Texas station KXAN. The sheriff’s office hasn’t responded to a request for comment. No other information about her arrest was made public.
Morales was 18 months old when she fell through an 8-inch opening in her aunt’s yard nearly 39 years ago. Emergency crews raced to rescue her with news crews covering their efforts. She claims to have no memory of the event.
Texas outlet KTRK said she suffered a cut to her head, and later lost a toe to infection after being pulled to safety.
Her dramatic ordeal was recreated in a 1989 made-for-TV movie featuring Beau Bridges and Patty Duke.
Morales told People magazine in 2017 that she was married, had two children and was working as a special education teacher’s aide in a Texas elementary school. She blamed a 2008 stock market collapse for wiping-out a $1.2 million trust that was established for her by well-wishers who followed her rescue.
“My life is a miracle,” she said nevertheless.