Neatherlin

An anonymous tip led to the arrest Wednesday of a day care operator who Bend Police say left seven children — including infants — unsupervised at her home so she could visit a tanning salon.

January Irene Neatherlin, 31, was arrested and booked into the Deschutes County jail under the suspicion of seven counts of second-degree child neglect, seven counts of reckless endangerment, first-degree theft and seven counts of criminal mistreatment, according to a Bend Police Department news release.

Bend Police Lt. Jason Maniscalco said Neatherlin operated Little Giggles Daycare at a home at 20915 NE Blue Bush Court, a quiet cul-de-sac off NE Empire Avenue in northeast Bend.

“We get a lot of tips and obviously this one turned out to be the worst-case scenario,” Maniscalco said Wednesday evening outside the home.

Police set up surveillance outside the Blue Bush Court home Wednesday after an anonymous tipster claimed Neatherlin was abandoning the children she was watching at her day care, Bend Police said.

Police saw several parents drop their children off at the day care and several hours later saw Neatherlin leave the home and drive away. Police said they found Neatherlin at a tanning salon without any children.

At the home on Blue Bush Court, where police believed there were at least four infants inside, officers knocked on the front door to see if any adults were there, but got no answer.

Out of fear for the safety of the children, police entered the home and found seven children ranging in age from 6 months to 4 years, according to the news release.

The parents of the children were notified and the children were evaluated at St. Charles Bend.

Neatherlin will likely be arraigned on charges Thursday afternoon.

According to online court records, Neatherlin also goes by January Irene Livsey — an alias also listed on the Bend Police news release — and as January Irene Brooks, and has several identity theft and theft convictions under those names.

According to the Oregon Business Registry, Little Giggles Daycare was registered to January Livsey.

In spring 2016, a Little Giggles Daycare run by Neatherlin at 20309 Shetland Loop in Bend was listed on the child care subsidy vendor list for OSU-Cascades, meaning students who used that day care could skip a paperwork step in getting a subsidy for child care.

— Reporter: 541-383-0376, awieber@bendbulletin.com;

Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com