BODY CAM: Babysitter of toddler twins who drowned told to stop daycare
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/PRB7A4EKMNMAROL7USQRJ53TVM.jpg)
were found in the deep end of a pool, their baby sitter was
after several allegations were levied — including accepting pain medication as payment for childcare.
Jennifer Salley operated an in-home daycare called "OM Baby" out of the residence since 2015, according to the Tennessee County Clerk's Office. At the time of the drownings, Salley's own two children were
.
On May 17, deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to Salley's residence in the 8800 block of Fox Lonas Road to help the Department of Human Services serve an order to "cease conducting a child care center inside of her home."
DHS said the visit was prompted by a complaint to its hotline that she was operating an unlicensed daycare center.
Body camera footage captured from that visit shows Salley answering the door to officials.
One of the officials says, "Come out here and talk to us."
Salley replies, "I'm good right here," from the door of the residence.
The DHS agent says, "We're serving you a restraining order to stop your illegal childcare."
Salley told the agent, "I'm allowed to have four kids in my care."
"You also had eight the last time we were here," the agent told her.
Salley told the officials that, on that occasion, she was not present.
In the footage, officials tell Salley that she is set for a court hearing that Friday, which she claims she cannot attend.
The agent again reminds Salley of her paperwork which is a "restraining order" to stop operating illegally.
"Four is not illegal. If I have four, I'm good," Salley says.
"Right, but you haven't had four," the DHS agent told her, "You've had more than four."
"One time you came and I had more than four. And I had someone here with me. We were having a party, and I can have a party in my own home," Salley told her.
The body cam footage ends with one of the officers attempting to get Salley's information.
The temporary injunction served to Salley on May 17 forbade her from engaging in any kind of childcare operation without an active license immediately, and granted DHS immediate access into her home to ensure she is complying with childcare licensing law.
Salley did sign the order, which was filed three days later on May 21.
DHS reported that it had not received anymore complaints about Salley since she was served in May. On Friday, DHS said she was still in compliance with the order because she did not have more than four unrelated children inside the residence.
On Friday morning, twins Elyssa and Elijah Orejuela were taken to East Tennessee Children's Hospital after they were pulled from Salley's pool in West Knoxville.
A KCSO spokeswoman said Monday the incident is still under investigation, and that all evidence will be presented to the district attorney for possible charges.
KCSO said the first twin, Elyssa, died Friday night. On Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson for East Tennessee Children's Hospital told WVLT News that Elijah had passed away.
Late Sunday night, the twin's father told WVLT News that information was not correct. It's unclear where the discrepancy came from.
On Tuesday, the family released a statement saying their son had passed away.