Mothers charged after toddlers rescued from roof, window

Police say two mothers are facing charges after one toddler was rescued from a Frankford roof and another child tried to climb out a window.

Officers were called to a home on the 4700 block of Leiper Street at about 1:30 p.m. Monday when someone reported seeing a child on the roof of a three-story home.

The officers had to force their way into the third-floor apartment, where they found two children, the 2-year-old boy on the roof and a 1-year-old boy who was trying to get out of a window.

Emergency responders rescued the 2-year-old from the roof.

The children had been left home alone, police said. They were taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for observation.

Their mothers returned to the residence while police and fire crews were at the scene and taken to the department's Special Victims Unit for questioning.

Philadelphia police said Tuesday that 22-year-old Cleaira Bell, who is the mother of the 2-year-old, and the 17-year-old mother of the 1-year-old were both arrested.

Both are facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person.

The name of the 17-year-old wasn't released because she is a juvenile.