New Carrollton
officials are investigating whether an unlicensed
child-care facility was being operated in the house
where a woman was charged with leaving her five
children unattended in a trash-strewn basement.
City officials said
police saw several people trying to drop off
children at the house where Amara N. Eden, 31, was
arrested Monday on allegations that she left her
five boys, ranging from 6 months old to 6 years, on
a sheetless bed that reeked of urine and feces. One
child, an infant, has cystic fibrosis.
In addition, police
found a 1-year-old dog chained without food or water
lying in its feces and urine in the basement of the
single-family house in the 7600 block of Topton
Street.
Eden is charged with
five counts of leaving her children unattended and
two counts of animal cruelty.
Each charge involving
the children carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in
jail if she is convicted, and each animal cruelty
charge carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.
(So cruelty to animals carries a stiffer penalty
than cruelty to childern, at least in Maryland.)
City Manager Mike
Downs said authorities also are looking into whether
the single-family house had been illegally divided
into three units occupied by at least two families.
Downs said the owners
of the house tried to obtain a license to create two
apartment units at that address in 2001, but the
request was denied.
New Carrollton Police
Chief David Rice said there have been a number of
cases in which single-family homes were turned into
multiple apartment units without the proper permits.
"It is a big problem," he said.
