Day Care Owner Locked 26 Children Without Water In Her Basement Behind A 'False Wall'

A Colorado woman who operated an illegal daycare facility in her basement has been found guilty on Friday, Aug. 27, of the child abuse of 26 toddlers found in her care, as well as attempting to influence a public official.

Carla Faith from Colorado Springs was originally arrested in November 2019 after authorities in the area found that she was operating an illegal daycare facility that hid children in her basement behind a false wall, according to CBS Denver.

The fake wall in her basement locked in 26 children, all under the age of 2, who were found sweaty and thirsty, some even in unchanged diapers. She and her co-workers were immediately arrested for their inhumane practice.

Authorities said that Faith did not have the license to open and operate a daycare facility in her basement and that she did not have enough workers to take care of that many children, according to the Gazette.

Another employee, Christina Swauger, has also been convicted of 26 counts of child abuse, while another unnamed employee has a warrant for her arrest and is being hunted down by the police.

“They deserve justice, and I think that this gives them a sense of justice,” District Attorney Michael Allen said as he talked about how the verdict will affect the families of the children found.

Police bodycam footage and witness testimony showed the appalling conditions of the basement where the children were kept, and it made for a swift win on the side of the prosecutors.

“It’s going to take help, for our kids especially, to move on after the trauma that they've gone through,” Vanessa Nagel, a parent of the children, said.

Child abuse misdemeanors are punished with three to 12 months in jail, while the felony charge of influencing a public official, which Faith was also convicted of, carries a possible sentence of 2 to 6 years.

“This case just speaks to somebody that wanted to put profits over children and safety of children,” Allen said. “And the jury was strong and the judge was very strong in saying that’s not how we operate in Colorado Springs, and that’s a relief.”