A 42-year-old daycare owner from Wyoming, Ohio faces nine charges of endangering a child after she was found passed out drunk while caring for the children she was trusted with.
On October 24, a woman whose grandchild was cared for by Julie Groteke during the day called police after she went to pick up the minor and no one answered the door, WLWT reports. On the 911 call, the grandmother told the dispatcher that she could hear children crying inside and walked inside.
RELATED: Ohio Toddlers Escape Daycare and are Found Wandering Alone Near Busy Road
That’s when she found Groteke unconscious on the couch in her living room. Inside the home were the nine children she was caring for and an unknown amount of biological children. According to Fox19, the grandmother told police, “She’s breathing but we can’t wake her up.”
The grandmother continued to tell the dispatcher, “I’m here. Another parent is here, and then there’s lots of kids here.” WCPO reports that Groteke’s father was also present in order to work with the police.
Upon finding the daycare owner, Groteke was transported to a nearby hospital where it was discovered that she had a blood alcohol content of 0.328, four times the legal limit if behind the wheel of a vehicle, WLWT reports.
RELATED: Daycare Raid Finds 26 Children in a Basement Hidden Behind a ‘False Wall’
Hamilton County JFS told Fox19 that the ongoing investigation revealed that Groteke did not have a license to run a daycare out of her home and was doing so illegally.
Groteke has since pleaded not guilty to the nine charges of child endangerment against her. The mom has since been bailed out of jail by her husband and has been ordered to stay away from children who are not her own.
She is expected to be back in court on December 11. The condition of the children inside the home at the time Groteke was found has yet to be reported.