An investigation is underway after a woman said her baby girl was left alone inside a closed Philadelphia day care.
Jessy Flores and her partner Camron Banks told NBC10 their 6-month-old daughter Amora had been receiving care at New Arisens Childcare Solutions’ Feltonville location on 4400 Whitaker Avenue for the past four months. They said they had never had any issues at the day care until Thursday.
Flores told NBC10 they went to pickup their daughter around 5:30 p.m. but noticed the doors were closed.
“They are usually closed at six,” Flores said.
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Flores said they banged on the door and rang the doorbell but never received an answer. They then called Philadelphia police.
“They had to break down the door,” Flores said. “Fire department had to break it down, like a machine.”
Flores said they then found their daughter alone and strapped to her car seat in a dark room.
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“It was just confusion,” she said. “Anger. I was just crying. I was very emotional. I didn’t know how to feel or say anything.”
Flores told NBC10 she’s worked in day cares before and doesn’t know how the incident could’ve happened.
“Make sure everything’s clean. Look under the tables because kids hide. Like we have a lot of trainings for that. For losing kids,” she said.
Flores told NBC10 the owner of the day care apologized to her Thursday night but didn’t provide an explanation.
“Nobody knew when she last ate,” Flores said. “Nobody knew when she was changed. Nobody knew who she was with.”
Flores said her daughter was a little dehydrated after the incident but overall doing OK.
The day care was closed on Friday. NBC10 visited New Arisens’ second location in East Frankford for answers. An employee told us they weren’t taking any questions.
According to state records, New Arisens’ Feltonville location is in compliance as of last year’s inspection and has no violations on file for the past five years. Flores told her she and her partner don’t plan on sending their daughter back to New Arisens or any other day care, however.
“I think we’re just going to be leaving her with my mom or his mom for now,” she said. “Kind of a little traumatic about that.”
Philadelphia Police said the special victims unit is currently investigating the incident.
