FAIRHOPE, Alabama—A Fairhope woman has been arrested on charges on endangering the welfare of her two children.

On Friday, April 6, the Fairhope Police Department responded to a residence in the 800 Block of North Greeno Road, to investigate a report of two young children who had been left home unattended, according to an FPD news release.

The children, ages 7 and 8, had been left by their mother, Rosa Queriapa Romero, 28, of Fairhope.  According to the investigation, they were home alone for several hours after their mother left.

In the yard of the residence, investigators found a puppy, approximately 9 weeks old, which had apparently been buried alive in the days prior to this incident.  Only the dog’s head and front paws were visible above ground, and the dog had apparently died from what investigators believe to be suffocation. 

The investigation revealed that several children, ages five, seven, and eight, live at that address, and one of the children had buried the puppy for unknown reasons.

When the mother returned at about 4 p.m., she had the 5-year-old child with her.

All three children were placed into protective custody with the Baldwin County Department of Human Resources. 

Romero was arrested on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.  She was booked into the Fairhope Municipal Jail pending transfer to federal custody on an immigration hold.

The dog carcass was removed by Fairhope Animal Control.  No charges are anticipated concerning the death of the dog since the animal died as the result of mishandling by a child.

Parents are reminded that young children require appropriate care and supervision until they have reached a level of maturity that allows them to care for themselves.