Police investigate foster home

08:43 AM CDT on Thursday, April 15, 2004

By Rudy Koski / KVUE News

Austin police say they have joined the investigation into a foster home for special needs children.

Officials tell KVUE News a criminal investigation underway, involving the possibility of what's called Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy. That is a term associated with a parent making a child sick to gain attention.

Wearing surgical masks and at times gloves, work crews moved items out of Faith Home.

On Tuesday crime lab technicians with APD found and removed one jar filled with mercury -- about the size of a small container of olives.

The discovery is a key part in the ongoing investigation of abuse and neglect allegations.

Authorities on the board of directors for the non-profit foster car home are trying to determine if the mercury was being used to intentionally make the children there sick.

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KVUE

Police say an investigation in underway at Faith Home.

Faith Home in Northeast Austin was opened in 1988 by Linda and Hy Traurig. It is a specialized facility for children exposed to the AIDS virus.

Case workers removed all eight children from the home after one was taken to the hospital on March 7. The mercury found Tuesday maybe linked to that case and others, because mercury can cause symptoms associated with different types of illnesses.

Public relations expert Chuck McDonald was hired by Faith Home to answer media questions, along with board attorney James Evans.

"All I can tell you is part of our internal investigation, the boy did discover what we believe to be some mercury. We immediately called the Austin Police Department to come out and as part of crime scene take custody of that. They've done that. If any criminal investigation comes of that, we plan to cooperate fully and completely with that," says Evans.

Some employess and volunteers have been tested for mercury exposure.

The state is also checking the children that were removed. Test results are not in yet.

The home will be cleaned by a company that specializes in removing hazardous substances.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mercury poisoning is very dangerous.

Common symptoms include a lack of coordination, speech and hearing impairment, muscle weakness, numbness in hands and feet, mood swings and memory loss.

If you are concerned you or someone you know has come in contact with mercury, call the Poison Center at 800-222-1222.