Woman Left Tots in Dirty Bensalem Motel Room, Police Say

A 22-year-old Philadelphia woman has been charged with child endangerment after police said she left her six-week-old baby, along with her two toddlers, in an "unsanitary" Bensalem motel room by themselves. 

Marchia Ilene-Shafiqa Dean, of the 1000 block of Kerper Street in Philadelphia, has been arrested and charged with three counts of child endangerment. 

Police allege that Dean left her six-week-old baby, her 3-year-old and her 15-month-old unattended in a dirty motel room at Neshaminy Motor Inn "for at least 45 minutes" while she went to pawn a ring and buy some food on the afternoon of Dec. 7.

A woman staying in the room directly above the children told police she heard "several babies" crying for an hour and heard them yelling for their "mommy," according to court documents. The woman contacted the front desk and knocked on the door where Dean's children were staying and a "small child" answered, according to court documents. 

Police said the room was in disarray and unsanitary. Food and trash were seen on the floor and bed, according to court documents. The children's clothes were dirty and their diapers needed to be changed. 

Dean is free after posting $10,000 unsecured bail. She awaits a preliminary hearing in district court tentatively set for Feb. 13.