Day Care Operator Arrested After Baby Found Dead, 6 Others Left Alone

A Nashville, Tennessee woman who operated a day care out of her apartment was arrested and charged with six counts of child neglect after a 3-month-old boy died and six other young children were left by themselves, police said.

Anne C. Jordan, 51, is currently in custody and could face additional charges following the investigation into the infant's death as the autopsy and toxicology report are still being completed, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said in an online statement.

She was arrested Thursday afternoon in Hickman County at the request of MNPD detectives before being returned back to Nashville that evening.

Newsweek reached out via phone to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and email to Tennessee Department of Human Services for comment.

Jordan, who was not licensed to run a day care, was not at the apartment when the deceased child and six others were found, police said, adding that the children in Jordan's care that day were 16 months old or younger.

A friend of the 3-month-old baby's family told local outlet WSMV that the infant's parents chose Jordan's apartment as a temporary solution until they found a licensed day care. The parents said she was recommended by another friend who used Jordan's services briefly, according to the local outlet.

The little boy was found dead by his mother when she went to pick him up from his first day of day care on April 10, according to police and the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS). The mom of the 3-month-old arrived at Jordan's apartment that afternoon and knocked on the door for roughly 10 to 15 minutes with no answer. After another parent arrived, the two decided to enter since the apartment door was unlocked and discovered the tragic scene, according to TDHS court documents.

The mother found her 3-month-old baby "cold to the touch and not breathing" on a bed. The little boy was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. After the heartbreaking discovery, the mom and the other parent said they then found six more babies and toddlers all alone in the apartment, police said. The children were in a living area converted to a playroom and another bedroom that had several cribs, court documents state.

While it's unclear at this time exactly how long the children were left by themselves, the surviving children were determined to be in good health, MNPD said.

The deceased baby did not have any obvious signs of traumatic injuries or medical issues, according to medical staff at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Jordan told police that she had found the baby boy unconscious in a bassinet. She said that she attempted CPR but was unsuccessful, so she fled. Hikers in Harpeth River State Park found the caregiver later that evening suffering from "significant" lacerations, apparently self-inflicted, to her arms, MNPD said.

This investigation is ongoing and being led by Youth Services Detective Chris Beery, MNPD said.