An Edmonton woman has been charged with child abandonment after she allegedly left five children alone, locked in a room in the basement of her dayhome.
Edmonton police confirmed Tuesday that Melissa Suley, 39, was charged on Nov. 30 with five counts of abandoning a child.
Police have not released details about what led to the charges but a group of parents who sent their children to the private, unlicensed dayhome daily came forward to Global News to share their concerns.
“I couldn’t believe that anyone in their right mind could do that to a child, let alone five,” said Gordon Patzalek, whose two children were in Suley’s care.
“It’s pretty terrifying to think of what could have happened, and what even has happened,” added Courtney Provencal, who also had two children in the dayhome.
Provencal said another parent called her on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 30 to say something wasn’t right, and asked Provencal to go and check it out.
When Provencal arrived, no one answered the door, so she texted the dayhome operator. The woman arrived a few minutes later and claimed she had left the kids with a babysitter while she ran out to drop off a child at a nearby community centre.
But when Provencal asked her son if there was another babysitter, “he said no and he was just downstairs in the playpen.”
- 14-year-olds accused in Halifax homicide appear in court, bail hearing set
- B.C. to ban drug use in all public places in major overhaul of decriminalization
- 2 teens charged with murder in case of 16-year-old killed outside Halifax mall
- Cars torched, explosions heard in suspected arson in Montreal neighbourhood
Provencal said she called the other parents to let them know what was going on.
“I was able to get there nice and fast,” said Patzalek. “I ran into the house. By the time I showed up the police had already arrived. The police had my kids safely with them.”
Looking back now, Provencal said there were some red flags and she “noticed a change in the household” in the spring.
“My drop-off or pick-up times get pushed back 10 to 15 minutes. I’ve gone there, no vehicle is there, no one’s answering the door,” she said. “No explanation. Just looking back on it all, it’s very suspicious.”
Provencal said she’s relieved charges have been laid but wants to know why her kids were left alone and how often it happened.
“There could have been a fire, the kids could have seriously injured themselves, broken bones, hit their heads. I can’t imagine why she would leave the kids alone in a house.”
“Children, especially this young, should never be left unattended for any amount of time,” Patzalek added. “We’re glad that we found out by coincidence and not tragedy.”
Provencal and Patzalek said they both did their research before deciding to leave their children with Suley.
“We asked for a criminal records check. We asked if she was licensed,” Patzalek said. “She supposedly had papers … she showed us papers and everything seemed great. Very nice person and very trustworthy supposedly.”
Provencal said Suley came recommended by a friend.
“She was very loving and warm and kind and we just got a really good feeling,” said Provencal, whose son has attended the dayhome since June 2015. “We saw a criminal check and a menu plan and schooling certificates.”
Provencal is thankful nothing serious happened to the children and urges other parents to trust their instincts and ask questions.
“Be aware. Trust your gut. Question things. Don’t be afraid to offend anyone. When it comes to your kids, you can’t be scared.”
The parents said they were told the dayhome was part of an agency called Lavoro. According to the government’s website, no such agency exists.
The parents immediately pulled their kids out of the dayhome.
Suley told Global News she no longer runs a dayhome, as of the start of December, but declined further comment.
Suley is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 9, 2017.
Comments