Rachel Heier turned herself in Monday morning after being indicted on multiple felony child endangerment charges.
TOLEDO, Ohio —
WTOL 11 has learned new details about a Holland woman facing multiple felony child endangerment charges.
Rachel Heier, 38, is being accused of child abuse and torture after a Lucas County Children Services caseworker found kids living in conditions described as "deplorable" at her home in September.
At Heier's arraignment Monday, prosecutors said more charges could be coming.
"There are egregious allegations in this case, your honor," they said.
The Lucas County Prosecutor's Office alleges Heier physically restrained and locked a child in a room, blacking out windows and blaring music into the room.
She's accused of giving that child laxatives, with no access to a bathroom, food or water.
"There were other children in the home at the time that this took place, so they were exposed to it. They would have witnessed it," a prosecutor said.
Multiple viewers reached out to WTOL 11 after our initial report on Heier.
They said Heier frequently volunteered with Isaiah 117 House, a non-profit that gives kids a comfortable place to go after being removed from their homes for safety reasons.
There's an effort to bring a house to Lucas County.
Founder Ronda Paulson said she doesn't even know who Heier is but that Heier has shown up to Isaiah 117's open meetings and events, which are open to any adults.
"I hate to even spend time on this because Lucas County, Ohio, has shown up in such huge ways for this ministry and I just don't want anything to dampen that," Paulson said.
Right now, Paulson said Isaiah 117 House doesn't have volunteers in the area since construction hasn't even started. She said all volunteers go through rigorous and thorough background checks and training.
"In order to be an actual volunteer for Isaiah 117 House, you have to go through rigorous background checks, fingerprinting, trauma-informed care training," Paulson explained. "None of that has taken place in Lucas County, Ohio, yet because we don't have a home yet."
A Lucas County Sheriff's Office report states the kids in Heier's care were removed by Lucas County Children Services during that caseworker visit in September.
In a statement to WTOL 11, an LCCS spokesperson said:
While Lucas County Children Services cannot comment on the specifies of any case due to confidentiality laws, LCCS regularly cooperates with law enforcement in investigations to ensure child safety. In all cases, the safety of our community’s children is paramount.
Whenever concerns of child abuse or neglect are raised in the community, LCCS and law enforcement work cooperatively to investigate and assess the actual situation. While LCCS tries to keep children in the family home whenever possible, there are times when removal becomes necessary to ensure the safety of the child.
Heier turned herself in on Monday morning but was released in the afternoon. As part of her release, Heier will have to wear an ankle monitor and cannot have any contact with children. She is due back in court in April.