SANDY, Utah — A Sandy day care business was ordered shut Monday by the Salt Lake County Health Department due to chemical contamination.
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Kelly's Daycare operates out of a residential home in the 9100 block of Benson Way. A large "Closed to Entry" sign could be seen posted on the front door of the home.
Witnesses told FOX 13 that police could be seen inside the business before 8 a.m. when local authorities, along with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, served a search warrant. Officials would not elaborate on what they were looking for during the raid, but sadi it is related to earlier charges against a family member of the day care's owner.
The drug contamination was found as law enforcement agents searched the home.
“At this time we don’t believe those kids would have been exposed to that, the day care is operated in a separate portion of the home than where the drugs would have been located,” said Clay Swensen with the Sandy Police Department.
Marcus Strebel, the son of the day care's owner, Kelly Strebel, was charged earlier this year with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Charges filed in February against Marcus Strebel, 30, claim that during December 2019 and November 2020 he downloaded and viewed several videos containing nude male children between the ages of 7 and 12 years old, with some showing the boys performing various sexual acts.
Strebel pleaded not guilty to the charges in October.
"The lady's really nice, I think she's a sweet lady," said a father whose children go to the day care. "I don't think she had anything to do with it. I think it was mostly her son who lived in the basement. But with her knowing that he already had an offense and still letting him at the house, makes me, I hate to say it, but I'd disown my own son over something like that."
Strebel, who is listed as living in the home and being an employee of the business. pleaded not guilty to the charges in October.
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A neighbor of the day care business claims his home was broken into numerous times by the younger Strebel.
"Finally I just got to where the doors are always locked," said Glade Bailey.
