Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

Children rescued from locked basement in Harrowgate

Four children were rescued from the locked basement of a home on the 1900 block of East Atlantic Street in the Harrowgate section of North Philadelphia, police said.

Police are investigating after four children were rescued from the locked basement of a home in the Harrowgate section of North Philadelphia.

Officers responded about 1:30 p.m. Sunday to the home on the 1900 block of East Atlantic Street, gaining entry by climbing through a second-floor bedroom window.

They found in the basement a 13-year-old boy and three girls, ages 9, 10, and 12, all of whom had been locked inside since the day before. Preliminary information appeared to indicate they were left there intentionally, police said.

The children were in possession of an emergency-only cell phone, which they eventually used to call 911.

Though they weren't visibly injured, they were examined at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and reported to be in good condition.

Police were actively working to make contact with the children's mother Sunday, and the Special Victims Unit was handling the investigation.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Philadelphia police.