Salisbury woman arrested after allegedly leaving four children unattended

SALISBURY, Md. – A Salisbury woman has been charged with neglecting minors and other related offenses following an investigation.

The investigation began at around 8 a.m. Monday, when deputies were called to the 27000 block of Barwick Drive for a report of an unattended child. It was reported that the individual found a child approximately 3 years old standing at the doorstep. It was believed that the child walked from a neighbors home, approximately 200 yards from the person’s home.

Deputies found an open side door to the home and announced themselves, but did not receive an answer. Deputies reportedly heard a small child yelling for “mommy”, and subsequently found another 3-year-old child, an 8-month-old restrained in a carseat, and a 5-year-old child in the home, but could not find a caretaker.

Sometime later, the property owner, identified as 54-year-old Jertha Philogene, came home, at which time it was learned that she allegedly left the children unattended to take a fifth child to school. She was reportedly gone for approximately one hour.

Philogene was arrested and charged with four counts of confine unattended child, four counts of reckless endangerment, and four counts of neglect of a minor.

Child Protective Services was also ca