Four children were found locked inside a basement of a Philadelphia home on Sunday. (credit: Kristen Johanson/KYW)

By Kristen Johanson, Matt Rivers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Four children were rescued on Sunday after Philadelphia Police say they were locked in a basement since Saturday.

Police responded to a home on the 1900 block of E. Atlantic St. around 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. Authorities had to use force to enter the home through a second-floor window.

When authorities gained entry they found a 13-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, a 10-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl locked in the basement of the home.

Authorities say the children were deliberately locked in the basement around 11 p.m. Saturday night.

Block captain and mother, Victoria Sipes, says she’s surprised that this happened.

“She’s really such a nice mom, she really is,” said Sipes. “She’s very disciplined when it comes to her kids,but it’s not like her. We don’t know goes on inside the home, but we are all really shocked. It doesn’t seem like that is something she would do.

People who know the mother say she is going through a divorce and was handling all four children by herself and working.

The children had no visual injuries and were transported to St. Christopher’s Hospital for examination.

Police say the mother faces four counts of endangered welfare of a child, recklessly endangered another person and related offenses.

She has not been charged at this time.