Cleaira Bell
A couple of Frankford mothers drifted into hot water on Monday after leaving their young boys home alone and one of the tots ended up on the roof.
Passers-by were startled when they saw Cleaira Bell’s 2-year-old toddler onto the roof of a three-story apartment house on the 4700 block of Leiper St. wearing nothing but a diaper. Someone called 911. Police arrived, entered the home, ran upstairs and determined that no adults were in the apartment. But another boy, age 1, was there attempting to climb through an open window.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and used a ladder to access the pitched roof. Meanwhile, Bell and the younger boy’s mother returned home. Police did not release the second mother’s name because she is 17. The women reportedly had been visiting a neighbor.
Rescuers saved the older boy from danger and took both tots to St. Christopher’s Hospital for observation. They were uninjured.
Detectives from the Special Victims Unit questioned both mothers, who are each charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of children. The teen is charged as a juvenile. Bell is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 21. Police did not disclose the custody status of the children. ••
