An Augusta day care worker was arrested after nine children were left unattended Friday, the sheriff’s office said.

The situation at Karen’s Kiddie Korner was noticed by a Richmond County fire official who came for a routine annual inspection, the Augusta Chronicle reported.

The official, Jermaine Jennings, noticed Karen Jones, 51, drive away from the building about 2:50 p.m., the newspaper reported. The children were alone with the doors locked.

Jennings called the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office when he saw children moving around unsupervised, according to the newspaper. About 3:30 p.m., the daughter of the day care worker was dropped off by a school bus and opened the doors for law enforcement.

The children, ranging from 1 to 9 years old, were not harmed and were returned to their parents.

Jones was charged with five counts of reckless conduct and booked into jail, the Chronicle reported.

Read more of the story here.

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