COLORADO SPRINGS — The daycare owner accused of hiding over 20 children behind a false wall in one of her facilities is set to appear in court Thursday morning along with two of her employees.
Court records show 58-year-old Carla Faith, 31-year-old Katelynne Nelson, and 35-year-old Christina Swauger are facing 26 counts of misdemeanor child abuse for each child found in the facility.
Faith, Nelson and Swauger will be advised of the charges against them in this morning's court appearance.
One more suspect, 24-year-old Valerie Fresquez, is facing the same charges but will not appear in court today.
Faith is accused of felony attempting to influence a public servant. Nelson is facing a felony drug charge for methamphetamine and needles found in her backpack at the daycare.
Swauger is accused of smoking or possessing marijuana while acting as a caregiver in a childcare facility.
In November, 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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