A West Mifflin woman already wanted on two arrest warrants was taken into custody last month after she unexpectedly gave birth inside her bathroom, with dispatch relaying that Katich told 911 the newborn was in the toilet bowl, covered in blood and crying. Officers and medics removed the newborn from the toilet. The baby later tested positive for cannabinoids and cocaine at a Pittsburgh hospital, according to police.
West Mifflin police responded to a home on Sylvan Avenue on Oct. 24 after the woman, identified as Alyssa Katich, gave birth without warning, according to CBS News. Katich told 911 that she had given birth without knowing she was pregnant and that the child was in the toilet bowl, per a dispatch report cited by the outlet. She also told the 911 dispatcher that she was in shock and could not pick up the newborn, according to a review of the 911 audio.
Officers Pull Newborn From Toilet, Perform First Aid
Officers and medics removed the newborn from the toilet and performed first aid at the scene, the station's report says. The umbilical cord was found loosely wrapped around the infant's neck. Katich and the newborn were then taken to separate hospitals for treatment, per the same account.
Katich had two outstanding arrest warrants for failing to appear in court at the time of the birth, police said, with warrants tied to prior cases out of West Mifflin and Munhall. Those details emerged as officers worked the scene and later searched the home.
Newborn Needed Intubation After Testing Positive for Drugs
The newborn was treated at UPMC Children's Hospital, where the baby required intubation before being extubated after showing improvement, the report notes. The child tested positive for cannabinoids and cocaine, according to the same account.
During police questioning, Katich said she had used marijuana and cocaine, and told investigators she found cocaine in her bedroom while cleaning, the outlet reported. A search of the home turned up several blunts with a strong marijuana odor, brown residue in a vial, and other drug paraphernalia, according to police.
Charges Filed, Statutes Allow for Enhanced Penalties
Police recommended charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, and prohibited acts, and a criminal complaint lists those same charges against Katich, the outlet reported.
Pennsylvania's child endangerment statute covers a parent, guardian, or other person supervising a child under 18 who knowingly endangers that child by violating a duty of care, protection, or support, according to 18 Pa.C.S. § 4304. The statute's text alone does not establish whether any particular alleged conduct meets those elements. Under the law, the offense is generally graded as a first-degree misdemeanor, with grading increased one level when the child is under six, and it can rise to a third-degree felony for a course of conduct or when the conduct creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.
Pennsylvania's child-specific aggravated assault provision addresses an adult's attempt to cause, or intentional, knowing, or reckless causing of, bodily injury to a child under six, according to 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702. An offense under that provision's subsection (a)(8) is graded as a second-degree felony, though the statute does not by itself establish that it applies to the allegations in this case.
