The charges stem from an investigation that began after the Franklin Division of Police responded to a 911 open line call and found three children, ages 7, 4 and 2, unattended inside an apartment, said Franklin police Capt. Brian Pacifico.
Officers responded around 2:45 a.m. Saturday to Emerald Edge apartments off East Second Street in Franklin on reports of a missing child and mother, he said.
A 911 dispatcher could hear children talking in the background of an open 911 call and they triangulated the call to find a location.
Officers checked different apartments, ultimately finding three children inside with no adults in the residence, Pacifico said.
Pacifico said upon talking with the children and their neighbors, police learned that a fourth child and dog also reside in the apartment.
Neighbors said they thought the child might have been chasing the dog that may have escaped. However, later on police learned the children’s grandmother has the dog in another city, he said.
At that point, they were searching for the 6-year-old, and Steinmetz and multiple agencies showed up to the scene to help search.
“Through investigations and through conversations, they found the 6-year-old was located in Middletown at a babysitter’s house,” said Pacifico, who added that the child was found safe.
When Steinmetz returned to the apartment she was taken into custody.
She is held on a $10,000 cash-only bond in the Warren County Jail and is next due in court March 17, according to online jail and court records.
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