A 5-year-old Charleroi girl picked up the phone last Saturday evening, called 911, and told dispatchers her dad was "dead." That call sent officers racing to a McKean Avenue apartment, where police say they found her father unresponsive on a floor mattress, an infant inside the same unit, and living conditions so bad that both parents are now in Washington County custody while the children have been turned over to county Children and Youth Services.
How the 911 call led officers inside
According to WPXI, the girl made the call shortly before 5:30 p.m. Officers could not get in through the front door, so they went in through a rear alley and found the child on a neighbor's balcony. She then led them to the apartment.
Inside, police located 40-year-old Jackson Alexis face down on a floor mattress. Medics treated him at the scene and took him to a hospital, and he was later booked into the Washington County jail. Investigators reported the unit had no running water, a broken toilet, a shower filled with brown water, and garbage piled in one corner. They say the 5-year-old used a bucket while medics worked on Alexis.
Charges, custody and court dates
The local paper reports that Alexis faces two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children, according to Observer-Reporter, and that investigators later obtained a warrant for the children's mother.
Observer-Reporter also says 27-year-old Roldy Noel was charged Monday with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and was taken into custody after a warrant was served. Alexis was arraigned Sunday before District Judge Joshua Kanalis and sent to the Washington County jail without bond, and court records list a preliminary hearing set for 10:45 a.m. on March 5.
Pennsylvania law and potential penalties
Pennsylvania's child-endangerment statute, 18 Pa.C.S. § 4304, makes it a crime for a parent or caregiver to "knowingly endanger" a child's welfare by violating a duty of care. The offense is generally a first-degree misdemeanor, but it can be charged as a third-degree felony if prosecutors show a course of conduct involving neglect or danger. Title 18 also sets the sentencing ranges tied to those gradings. See Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes for the full statutory language and grading details.
Child-welfare response and what happens next
Police say they asked dispatchers to contact the on-call Children and Youth Services agent, but because officers did not yet have the children's names, a ChildLine report had not initially been made. That left no agency immediately authorized to take custody at the scene.
Washington County officials told WPXI the county "takes all reports of child abuse and neglect seriously" and expects cooperation between CYS and law enforcement. With both parents now in custody, prosecutors and county child-welfare officials say the investigation and court process will determine what happens next for the children and any criminal penalties for Alexis and Noel.
