Colorado daycare owner charged with child abuse after hiding 26 kids behind secret wall

Dec. 26--The owner of a Colorado Springs daycare has been arrested more than a month after dozens of children were found hidden in the facility basement.

Carla Faith, 58, was arrested Monday and charged with suspicion of child abuse knowingly/reckless with no injury and attempt to influence a public servant, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.

In the middle of November, the Colorado Springs Police Department, at the request of the Department of Human Services, performed a welfare check at the Play Mountain Place after complaints that Faith was housing more children than the six allowed by her license.

On Nov. 13, officials found no children at the daycare and instead tried to find Faith at her home, on the same property as the facility. Officers said at the time that Faith refused to cooperate, but deputies heard what they believed to be children from somewhere inside.

During an investigation of the home, officers found a false wall that led to a finished basement, where two adults and 26 kids under the age of 3 were hidden.

"Hindsight I'm like, 'God why didn't I question more?'" parent Sherry MacWilliam told Fox 21 at the time. "A puppy mill for toddlers is what she was running."

Faith was not arrested immediately while detectives continued their investigation.

Two other employees at Play Mountain Place, Christina Swauger and Katelynne Nelson, were also arrested.

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