A Cottage Grove daycare provider is charged with child neglect and operating without a license, and Washington County officials are filing a lawsuit in an attempt to shut her down.
Prosecutors detail in a criminal complaint filed against 25-year-old Megan Martin how they became aware she was operating a unlicensed daycare by finding an ad on a website called Sitter.com. Investigators applied for a search warrant and went to Martin's residence in Cottage Grove on February 25. They were met at the door by Martin, who had 12 children in her care. Three of them were in a room still strapped in their car seats with blankets over them.
During the search officers learned there were no working smoke or carbon monoxide detectors in the home, and there was cat feces and dangerous chemicals within reach of the children.
Law enforcement searching the home noticed the smell of alcohol coming from Martin. She was given a preliminary breath test, which registered .12, well over the legal limit for driving.
When questioned by detectives Martin allegedly told them she had been in business for five years, and had actively avoided getting a license. She also reportedly admitted to leaving the children alone while she took a shower, applied makeup and finished her morning routine.
Following the executing of the search warrant, Washington County asked the court to have a temporary restraining order issued against Martin prohibiting her from operating a daycare while the legal proceedings unfold, and she acquires the proper license.