Rep. Lauren Boebert is once again in the uncomfortable position of defending her family — this time after her 2-year-old grandson wandered out of her Colorado home while under the supervision of her son, who is now facing a second child abuse charge in less than a year.

The Windsor Police Department confirmed that officers responded Sunday to a call about a toddler found alone outside near a residence. That home belongs to Boebert, who represents Colorado in Congress and owns property in Windsor near a lake.

Police said officers developed probable cause to issue a summons to Tyler Boebert, 20, the child’s father, for misdemeanor child abuse without injury.

The incident marks the second time in seven months that Tyler Boebert has faced the same charge. He is already scheduled to go to trial in April for a similar allegation stemming from a July incident at the congresswoman’s home.

“There’s no excuse,” Lauren Boebert, 39, told 9News, adding that she is “very frustrated this happened.”

“A kind woman quickly and safely secured him, and authorities were called as a precaution,” she said.

The image is jarring: a toddler outside alone, near a lake, while adults inside were presumably unaware. Police have not released details about how long the child was unsupervised or how he managed to exit the home, but the mere fact of the incident has ignited scrutiny — not only of Tyler Boebert, but of the congresswoman herself.

This is not the first time the Boebert family has been under a spotlight.

In 2023, Tyler Boebert was arrested in connection with a series of vehicle break-ins and credit card thefts. He later pleaded guilty to attempted identity theft and was sentenced to probation as part of a plea deal, according to reports.

At the time, the congresswoman publicly acknowledged her son’s struggles.

“I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man,” she told The Denver Post in February 2024. “It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track. I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him.”

Now, with a second child abuse citation on the books, the narrative grows more complicated.

Boebert became a grandmother at 36 when Tyler and his girlfriend welcomed their son, Josiah, in April 2023. She shared the news at a Moms for America event, saying she would go by “Gigi.”

Boebert has often woven her personal story into her political identity. She has spoken publicly about becoming pregnant with Tyler at 18 and dropping out of high school to raise him.

“I was a brand-new mom, and I had to make hard decisions on successfully raising my child, or getting to high school biology class,” she once said. “And I chose to take care of my child.”

That narrative — of resilience, family values, and personal responsibility — has been central to her brand in Congress since her election in 2020.

But critics argue that repeated legal trouble within her immediate family raises uncomfortable questions about accountability at home versus rhetoric on the campaign trail.

The Windsor Police Department described Sunday’s charge as “non-injury child abuse,” a misdemeanor under Colorado law. The case will now move through the court system. Tyler Boebert is expected to face trial in April for the earlier charge.

Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, separated in May 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The congresswoman has four sons: Tyler, Brody, Kayden and Roman.

For supporters, the episode may be viewed as a painful but private family matter — the struggles of a young father navigating adulthood under intense public scrutiny.

For detractors, it is harder to separate the personal from the political.

Boebert has built her career on fiery speeches about law and order, family structure, and personal responsibility. She has criticized what she describes as societal breakdown and cultural decline. Now, she faces a situation unfolding under her own roof.

The congresswoman has not suggested that she herself is under investigation, and police have not indicated that she faces any charges. Still, the setting — her home — inevitably ties the story to her.

Her office did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

For now, the focus remains on a 2-year-old child who was found alone outside and a 20-year-old father who is once again headed to court.

Whether this incident becomes another brief headline in a long list of family controversies — or a deeper political liability — may depend on what happens next.

But one thing is clear: when personal challenges intersect with public office, the fallout rarely stays contained within the walls of a home.