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Kids Found Home Alone In Homewood, Living In Filth

HOMEWOOD (KDKA)- A local mother faces charges, after police found three kids at home alone, living in filth.

Police were called to the home in the 7300 block of Stranahan Street on Wednesday.

According to the criminal complaint, a child inside the home called 911, saying it sounded like someone was trying to break into the house.

When officers arrived, they found a 10-year-old, 2-year-old and 11-month-old home alone. The mother was nowhere to be found. Police began to look around and noticed a strong smell of urine and feces. They also noticed there were no beds inside the home, just a mattress in the living room.

"There was a strong odor of urine and feces in the home," said Pittsburgh Public Safety Spokeswoman Emily Schaffer. "There was little food in the fridge and there were no beds in the bedrooms."

Upon further investigation, the officers noticed the only thing in the refrigerator was a pack of lunch meat and cheese and a rack of ribs. They also observed a child's high-chair that was covered in old food.

A half-hour after officers arrived, the children's mother, Erin Brown, returned home.

Officers asked her where she was, and she claims she was at her rent office making a payment. She then claimed that a babysitter was watching the kids and gave police the babysitter's number. When officers called the number, it said it was a disconnected number.

Police called Children, Youth and Families workers to the scene to take custody of the children. Brown was arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail on three charges of endangering the welfare of children.

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