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Prosecutors alerted to day care concerns, took no action

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March 11th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Records show prosecutors were informed about allegations that a day care operator in a Des Moines suburb was caring for too many children but didn’t take action, raising concerns after a child was found unresponsive at the residence and later died. The Des Moines Register reports that 47-year-old Trina Mazza is charged with operating a home child care facility in Johnston without a license. Mazza’s attorney says she’s fully cooperating with the investigation into the child’s February death.

The Iowa Department of Human Services sent Mazza and the Polk County Attorney’s Office notices that she was caring for too many children following complaints filed in 2011 and 2017.
County Attorney John Sarcone says his office didn’t take action because the department didn’t specifically seek a criminal charge or include details of abuse in the notice.