Grandmother Charged With Endangering the Welfare of Grandchildren

A mother and a grandmother were both charged with endangering the welfare of the mother’s five children after authorities learned that the children had been abandoned and left to fend for themselves in a filthy home, apparently with the grandmother’s knowledge. The charges highlight the fact that people other than parents can be held responsible where children have been neglected.

If you have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the LLF Law Firm’s Criminal Defense Team can help. You need a strong defense in these kinds of cases, and our attorneys have years of experience defending people all across Pennsylvania who face criminal charges. Call the LLF Law Firm today at 888.535.3686, or fill out our contact form, and we will schedule a confidential consultation so we can learn more about your case and explain to you how we can help.

A “Hoarder House” With a “Disgusting Animal Smell”

According to a press release issued by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, police in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh, encountered five children in connection with an unrelated matter. The children, aged 9 through 16, told police that they had been unable to reach their mother for several days. Police gave the children a ride back to the family home. This is where, according to one news report, they encountered “feces and urine from dogs, rotten food, and garbage” all over the floors, as well as “insects flying around.” The smell was so pungent that one officer apparently vomited after encountering the conditions.

There reportedly was no food in the home. The house had no running water; instead, the children walked to their maternal grandmother’s home about a mile away and carried water back to the house using old cat litter containers. The grandmother appears to have been aware that the children had been left home alone, telling reporters that they “were supposed to at least clean up after themselves, and they didn’t even do that.”

Grandma is Charged Along With the Mother

Police charged both the mother and the grandmother with third-degree felony counts of endangering the welfare of the children. The grandmother was charged even though she was not living with the children. According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, the grandmother told police that she had not been in the children’s house for months because it was “too gross,” and that the children came to her house to fill jugs with water because there was no access to water at their house.

Parents Are Not the Only Ones Who Can Face Child Endangerment Charges

Pennsylvania’s law against endangering the welfare of children applies not only to parents and guardians, but also to any “other person supervising the welfare of a child under 18 years of age,” as well as to any “person that employs or supervises such a person.” In this case, the children’s grandmother is facing the same child endangerment charges as the mother.

The LLF Law Firm Can Defend You Against Charges of Endangering the Welfare of a Child

Not every case is as clear-cut as the Vandergrift case seems to be. Charges for endangering the welfare of children can result from situations that are much less severe than the one described in the news report and the DA’s office press release. If you are facing charges that you have endangered the welfare of a child, you need an experienced attorney on your side who understands the burden that the prosecution faces to secure a conviction. Your attorney also needs to know how to defend against these sorts of difficult charges.

The LLF Law Firm’s Criminal Defense Team is made up of attorneys with years of criminal defense experience in courts all across Pennsylvania. We know the laws, regulations, court rules, and procedures that apply in criminal cases, and we are here to protect your rights and defend you against the allegations you face. Call us today at 888.535.3686, or use our contact form, and we will schedule a confidential consultation so you can tell us about your case, and we can explain how we can help.