Thursday, June 28, 2007

3 Fired in Day-Care Case

Key West ,Florida Wesley House Family Services has fired three employees involved in a case in which a 3-month-old boy was left in a closed and locked-up day-care facility on June 13, CEO Doug Blomberg confirmed Tuesday.

Monroe County sheriff's detectives interviewed Wesley House Child Development Center Director Sharon Morgan, and employees Chelsey Rhew and Kaleena Rodrigues. The three worked at the Stock Island center on College Road the day Mandy Luedecke's son was left unattended in the building.

They closed the center and left for an after-work staff meeting at Wesley House's Truman Avenue headquarters before Luedecke arrived to pick up her son.

When a deputy interrupted the meeting to ask about the missing child, Morgan jumped up and said, "Oh my God, Isaiah," and immediately returned to the center, reports say. Morgan and Rodrigues later told investigators they did not check the infant room before closing, but that it was not their job to do so.

The state Department of Children and Families (DCF) continues to investigate the case. Authorities previously have said the probe was focusing on licensing issue and possible criminal charges.

The state agency said the day-care center had no prior licensing issues, but the investigation continues.

"They're pretty much in good standing," DCF spokeswoman Flora Beal said.

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