News footage of authorities at Teonna Brown's home in Baltimore, Md. (WBAL).
A Maryland mother is being held without bail after police said she left her six children by themselves in a filthy apartment.
Teonna Brown, 34, was charged with six counts of child neglect after police said her six children, all under the age of 10, were found on Monday by a City of Baltimore employee who saw them in the back of their apartment "without apparent adult supervision," according to a police report obtained by local Fox affiliate WBFF. When law enforcement arrived at the rental property in Baltimore, they said they found the children "partially clothed," some wearing "only socks and soiled diapers." Some of the children were walking barefoot around broken glass.
When police went inside the home, the scene was allegedly even more dire.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by local CBS affiliate WJZ, the inside of the home was in "poor, unsafe, and unsanitary condition." The home had no electricity or running water, and there was "no readily available food or drinking water." Police said there were no beds or "usable" furniture in the home, and it was filthy with dog feces. The court documents stated that when officers searched for clothes for the children, they could not find enough for all six children.
All the children were taken to the hospital for medical evaluation. The children showed signs of neglect, but all were released into the custody of family members after receiving treatment, local NBC affiliate WBAL reported. According to the probable cause statement, Brown was at the hospital where the children were treated.
When police spoke with Brown, she allegedly told them that she had an appointment at a methadone clinic on Monday morning and asked a friend to go to her apartment to watch her children. The friend eventually agreed to come to the apartment, but Brown claimed she was "approximately an hour late" for her appointment and left before her friend showed up, police said.
Brown allegedly told police that she would normally wait for her friend to arrive before leaving, but was "late and rushing" that morning.
Police asked Brown about the children's conditions and the state of the household, and she said she was not receiving any food assistance. She told police that the children bathed or showered "when they want."
According to court documents, Brown and her children were placed in the apartment in April by the city's housing officials as a crisis placement. The program provided Brown with hundreds of dollars in Walmart gift cards for her household.
Mayor Brandon Scott told WJZ that the city government would be looking into how Brown's family fell through the cracks, adding "[W]e'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."
Brown was taken into custody and is being held without bail. During a court appearance on 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, as well as a failure to appear and an open warrant, in his reasoning for keeping her behind bars.
Brown is set to appear in court again on Oct. 1.