Ditmas Park Day Care Operator Arrested in Fla. Child Death

A Ditmas Park day care operator and her daughter were arrested Friday for their alleged involvement in the death of a 4-year-old boy in the care of a Florida day care center last month, NBC New York reported.

Cecily Roberts, 43, who operates the L.R. Academy on Ditmas Avenue and E. 23rd St., as well as the 3C's Academy in Sunrise, Fla., and Camille Gordon, 20, were arrested by the NYPD, NBC reported.

On Aug. 1, Jordan Coleman, 4, died after he was left in a locked SUV for two and a half hours while in the care of Gordon and Paris Ward, 19, who was charged with aggravated manslaughter.

According to a lawsuit filed by Coleman's parents, Coleman fell asleep in an SUV driven by Ward who was taking him and seven other children to an apartment complex because the day care was over capacity. He was not found until his five-year-old cousin asked where he was. 

Roberts and Gordon face one count each of aggravated manslaughter, while Roberts faces an additional charge of felony child care misrepresentation, NBC reported.

Though its sign suggested otherwise, the Sun Sentinel reported that there was no record of L.R. Academy being licensed as a home-based day care center with the New York City Department of Health or the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

"If they are caring for more than two children for three or more hours a day, regularly, it should be licensed and regulated," state spokeswoman Pat Cantiello told the Sentinel.

It is unclear how many children were being cared for by Roberts and Gordon at L.R. Academy.