Baltimore Mom Charged With 6 Counts of Child Neglect After Kids Found Alone in Filthy Apartment

Teonna Brown, 34, left her six children, all under 10, alone in a Baltimore apartment with no food, water, or electricity and broken glass on the floor.

Baltimore Mother Held Without Bail After Six Children Found Alone in Uninhabitable Home

A 34-year-old Baltimore mother is being held without bail after police said she left her six young children unattended in a filthy, unsafe apartment with no food, running water, or electricity. Law & Crime reports that Teonna Brown faces six counts of child neglect following the discovery Monday by a City of Baltimore employee who spotted the children in the back of the apartment "without apparent adult supervision."

Officers responding to the rental property found the children "partially clothed," with some wearing "only socks and soiled diapers," according to a police report obtained by local Fox affiliate WBFF. Several children were walking barefoot through broken glass on the floor.

The conditions inside the home were described in a probable cause statement — obtained by CBS affiliate WJZ — as "poor, unsafe, and unsanitary." There were no beds or usable furniture, no electricity, no running water, and no readily available food or drinking water. The apartment was littered with dog feces. When officers searched for clothing for the children, court documents state they could not find enough garments for all six.

All six children, each under the age of 10, were transported to the hospital for medical evaluation. They showed signs of neglect but were subsequently released into the care of family members after receiving treatment, NBC affiliate WBAL reported.

According to the probable cause statement, Brown was at the same hospital where her children were treated when police made contact with her. She told officers she had an appointment at a methadone clinic Monday morning and had asked a friend to come watch the children. Brown claimed she left the apartment because she was "approximately an hour late" for her appointment, before her friend had arrived. She said she would normally wait for the friend to show up, but was "late and rushing" that day.

When asked about the children's living conditions, Brown told police she was not receiving food assistance and said the children bathed or showered "when they want."

Court documents indicate that Brown and her children had been placed in the apartment in April by city housing officials as part of a crisis placement program. That program had provided Brown with hundreds of dollars in Walmart gift cards to cover household needs.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told WJZ that the city would investigate how Brown's family slipped through the cracks. "We'll also be taking a tough, hard look at whether the landlord, the private landlord who owned this property, was aware of the condition and take any action that we can there as well," Scott said.

At a court appearance Wednesday, Brown's public defender told the judge that Brown "had unfortunately dealt with substance abuse, and it has been a difficult six months." The judge cited Brown's criminal history, an outstanding warrant, and a prior failure to appear in court as grounds for keeping her detained without bail. Brown is scheduled to return to court on October 1.

Source: Law & Crime