OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — The mother of the toddler murdered inside an Oil City North Street home has been charged with child endangerment following an investigation into her child’s death.
Court documents indicate that the Oil City Police Department filed criminal charges against 22-year-old Caleigh Renae Gladfelter, of Oil City, on December 22, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office.
According to the criminal complaint, on December 20, a known female (assumed to be Gladfelter) traveled to the Oil City Police Department regarding a minor child who was missing. The child was identified as “KM” and described as a two-year-old who lives at a residence in the 600 block of North Street in the city of Oil City with his mother, sibling, and his mother’s boyfriend, Trevaughn Stribling-Jackson.
According to the report made by the child’s mother, she last saw KM before leaving for work on December 18 at about 2:30 p.m. Upon returning home from work around shortly before 11:30 p.m., she saw the child was missing. KM had been left in the care of Stribling-Jackson, states the complaint.
Upon asking Stribling-Jackson about the whereabouts of the child, she was told the child was given to his cousin in the Erie area. He would not provide a name or contact information for the cousin who allegedly had custody of the child, the complaint indicates.
During interviews with the victim’s mother, she told police she was concerned about the whereabouts of the child. She attempted multiple times to question Stribling-Jackson about the child’s location or getting in contact with him. Further, she told officers she found Stribling-Jackson’s behavior suspicious when she returned from work the night of the 18th because he was doing laundry, according to the complaint.
The victim’s mother told police she noted that a tan Intex air mattress bag was missing when she returned home from work, and that there was blood on the box-spring under the air mattress, the complaint says.
Officers were provided information by the victim’s mother that Stribling-Jackson would strike the child. Recently, she observed bruising around his ribcage area, notes the complaint.
On December 20th, Oil City PD Patrolman Tim Karns applied for a warrant to search the North Street residence. The search warrant was approved, the complaint states.
During the execution of the warrant, officers entered the basement of the residence and located the child inside a canvas type “Intex” bag beneath a makeshift table, secreted from view. EMS personnel could not provide life-saving measures as the child was deceased, indicates the complaint.
Based on their findings, OCPD Lieutenant Cory Ruditis applied for a second search warrant to collect evidence relating to the death of the child. Personnel from the Forensic Services Unit of the Pennsylvania State Police responded to the scene for the execution of the search warrant and the documenting and seizing of evidence, the complaint notes.
While on scene, officers observed injuries on the victim’s head and neck area, as well as a suspected burn on the inner groin, says the complaint.
Lieutenant Ruditis and PSP Trooper Harriger interviewed Stribling-Jackson. During the interview, he denied knowing the whereabouts of the child. He stated he didn’t have any information about the child’s death. He also denied sending the child to Erie or telling anyone he did so. Stribling-Jackson said, however, that he has family in the Erie area, states the complaint.
Lieutenant Ruditis noted in the complaint that officers confirmed during their investigation that Stribling-Jackson lived in the basement of the North Street home with the victim, the victim’s mother, and her other minor child.
According to court records, Gladfelter was arraigned at 1:00 p.m. on December 22, on the following charge in front of Judge Fish:
- Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, F1
Gladfelter is lodged in the Venango County Prison with bail denied. The bail action reason was listed as “Severity of charge, flight risk, & no ties to the community.”
Gladfelter’s boyfriend, Trevaughn Lee Glenn Stribling-Jackson, was arrested yesterday on criminal homicide and assault charges.
