A woman who ran an unregistered, in-home daycare has been charged with operating the facility over DHS regulations for the amount of children she could take care of.
On Friday, February 15, Johnston public safety personnel were called to an in-home daycare, located at 6610 Brook Ridge Court for an unresponsive child. Immediate medical care was offered at the scene and the individual was transported to a local hospital for advanced medical intervention, but later died.
The resident and operator of the in-home daycare, 47-year-old Trina Mazza, is an unregistered childcare provider, according to the Johnston Police Department. In March 2011 and September of 2017, Mazza received notices from the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), which advised that DHS had received complaints of the alleged defendant operating a child development home with more than five children at any one time.
Both DHS notices advised Mazza that an unregistered in-home provider shall not provide childcare services to more than five children at one time. Upon further investigation after the child’s death, Mazza was found to be operating an in-home daycare in excess of the five children allowed.
The Johnston Police Department is working in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Human Services, Polk County Medical Examiner and Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Mazza is facing the following charges:
• Theft in the First Degree (x4)
• Forgery (x3)
• Dependant Adult Abuse, Exploitation Greater than $100 Value (x4)
• Operate a Child Care Center Without a License
Mazza was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail, but has since been released.