COLORADO SPRINGS — It has been over one month since a Colorado Springs daycare was shutdown after officers discovered a false wall leading to a basement and hiding 26 children in a facility licensed to care for only six children.
Four suspects connected to the daycare shutdown were arrested this week. Court records show 58-year-old Carla Faith, 31-year-old Katelynne Nelson, 35-year-old Christina Swauger, and 24-year-old Valerie Fresquez are facing 26 counts of misdemeanor child abuse for each child found in the facility.
Faith, Nelson and Swauger are already out on bail and are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 2 to be advised of the charges against them.
Carla Faith is accused of felony attempting to influence a public servant. Katelynne Nelson is facing a felony drug charge for methamphetamine and needles found in her backpack at the daycare.
Christina Swauger is accused of smoking or possessing marijuana while acting as a caregiver in a childcare facility.
Last month, the Department of Health Services and officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department raided Play Mountain Place on Willamette Avenue following multiple complaints.
Officers discovered a false wall that led to a basement where they found 26 children, all under the age of 2, with dirty or wet diapers and were very thirsty, according to court documents.
While searching the basement, authorities found a backpack that had syringes and two bags of methamphetamine.
Those with the Colorado Springs Police Department want to remind the public that their investigation is not into Play Mountain Place, but the situation that occurred when officers responded. "This is not going back and contacting every employee. It's really, these charges stem from that contact that day," said Lieutenant Jim Sokolik of the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Faith was only licensed to care for a maximum of six children. She owned both Play Mountain Place and Counterpoint School, both have since been shut down.
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