Galesburg Police on Friday, August 27th were flagged down by an Animal Control employee in the 1500 block of East Main Street around 6:00 pm. The employee said he was dispatched to the address for dogs that had been neglected and left out in the heat. He said children are the only ones that come to the door. A strong fecal odor was emitting from the house, and officers observed large amounts of dog feces on the front porch and in the backyard. Officers made contact with the children ages 10, 9, 3, and 2. The ten-year-old told officers they had been alone since they got home from school two hours prior, and it was normal for them to be left alone. He told police his mom was “at the gym” but didn’t know which one. He also said his mother’s phone is dead. Officers noted the 2-year-old was very thirsty and visibly dirty with bug bites all over her. Dispatch made contact with the children’s mother: 28-year old Brooke Alyson Elliott-Johnson who still took nearly an hour to respond to the home. Johnson said she thought the babysitter was with the kids, despite them saying being left alone was a common occurrence. The dogs were released to animal control. Witnesses told police as soon as officers departed, Johnson did as well. She was issued a notice to appear citation on four counts of Endangering the Life of a Child and DCFS was contacted to do an investigation.
