SUGARCREEK BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A felony child endangerment charge has been filed against a local woman after her two-year-old son was recently found wandering the streets of Reno.
Court documents indicate on Tuesday, October 26, the Sugarcreek Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 36-year-old Chrystal Michelle Chavis, of Reno.
According to a criminal complaint, Sugarcreek Borough Police went to the home of Chrystal Chavis on October 12 to speak to her about her two-year-old child being left out in the yard of the residence unattended.
Police had received a report of the child sitting naked in a burn pit, as well as a report of the child being between two pit bull dogs that were in a fight, and the owners then having to use a rake to separate the dogs, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, police then received a call from Venango County Children and Youth Services (CYS) reporting that around 12:30 p.m. on October 12, CYS had taken another report after the same two-year-old child was found wandering the streets of Reno with a pit bull puppy.
It was reported that the child was wearing an “extremely soiled” diaper.
In addition, it took Chavis 15 minutes to come and find the child. Chavis then reportedly stated “her (expletive) son,” an older juvenile, was supposed to be watching the two-year-old child.
Police then did a follow-up interview with Chavis by phone the next day.
When asked about how the child came to be wandering the street, Chavis reportedly told police that her older son was watching the two-year-old at the playground and said that the two-year-old had run from him. She indicated that her older son had called and told her that the two-year-old had run away, and said she then went and found him and the puppy. She also indicated that they were both “fine.”
The complaint notes that when asked about how long the two-year-old child was gone, Chavis told police “not even a minute.”
Police explained that due to the age of the child, the offense would be a Felony 3, according to the complaint.
Chavis was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland at 10:26 a.m. on October 26 on the following charge:
– Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3
She remains free on $5,000.00 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on November 3 in Venango County Central Court with Judge Kirtland presiding.
