19 children removed from Kentucky house

• Tweet

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., July 4 (UPI) -- Sheriff's deputies in Kentucky arrested the mother of some of 19 children who had been left home alone in a house for about a week, authorities said.

Jackie Farah, 32, who was in Chicago when authorities removed the children from the Bowling Green home Monday night, was charged with 14 counts of first-degree criminal abuse involving a child 12 or under and five counts of wanton endangerment, The Bowling Green Daily News reported.

Deputy Robert Smith of the Warren County Sheriff's Office said the children -- ranging in age from 8 months to 14 years old -- had been left in the home about a week with no food and no air-conditioning and the temperature sometimes climbed into the triple digits. Smith said the house lacked enough beds for all the children.

Farah was being held without bond in the Warren County Regional Jail.

Authorities were still seeking to question others believed to be involved.

Additional charges are expected when the case against Farah is presented to a Warren County grand jury, Warren County Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Cohron said.

The children were taken to a medical center for treatment, then placed into the protective custody of the Kentucky Department for Health and Family Services.