Mandarin Day Care Doubled As Drug Den, Police Say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Mandarin home day care center was recently shut down after Jacksonville narcotics officers raided the house and arrested the owner and her son.
Neighbors said they normally see children playing outside the home day care on Beaubien Road, but on Thursday signs let parents know they will have to find a new baby sitter.
Police said the place where children usually spend the day playing doubled as a drug den.
Investigators have charged the day care owner, Susan Vance, with maintaining a place where a controlled substance is sold. They said her son, Mark Scott, was selling cocaine and marijuana out of her in-home day care and she knew about it.
Investigators said it was an undercover narcotics team that learned that the day care was also a drug house.
"They went in posing as drug users for the purpose of buying drugs. Once they got in, they saw all the drugs, the scales; they saw everything that's used for this type of illegal activity," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson.
Investigators said during one undercover buy, Vance came in a bedroom and saw her son selling cocaine and marijuana to the officer. According to the police report, the officer told her he'd better put the drugs away and she said, "Yeah, because her dad is a police officer," as she pointed to a girl she was watching inside the residence.
Jefferson said as far as the sheriff's office knows, a police officer's child did not attend the day care. However, he said parents need to do their homework before leaving their children anywhere.
"Always do a careful and thorough background check on whomever you're going to leave your children with," Jefferson said.
According to the state, Vance did have a license. According to DCF records, the Vance Family Day Care only had only minor violations during inspections.
In the past, Vance was cited for unsanitary living conditions and some broken toys that could be hazardous to children.
DCF is investigating the incident. It could permanently revoke the license for the day care.
Vance has been released from jail on bond. Her son remained in jail on Thursday evening on a $75,000 bond.