Mom Of 4 Kids Locked In Basement For 15 Hours Faces Charges

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Police say a Philadelphia mother locked her four children in the basement for nearly 15 hours without food or a bathroom as punishment.

Police say she will face four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and other offenses. Authorities rescued the children ages 9 to 13 on Sunday from the home in the city's Kensington section after one of the children used a cellphone to dial 911.

Firefighters broke through a second floor window to enter the locked home.

The 13-year-old boy, 12-year-old girl, 10-year-old girl and 9-year-old girl were taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children for evaluation.

They're being placed in the custody of family members or social services.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.