Clarion Woman Faces Charges After Police Discover Children Living in Deplorable Conditions

Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Published August 16, 2017 4:31 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A Clarion woman who allegedly permitted her children to live in unclean and deplorable conditions is facing child endangement charges.

According to court documents, the Clarion Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 41-year-old Elizabeth Ann McClaine, of Clarion.

According to a criminal complaint, around 5:45 p.m. on August 3, Clarion Borough Police were dispatched to 79 Wilson Avenue for a report of a child running around outside the residence with a large knife. Chief Peck and Officers O’Neil and Kemmer responded to the scene.

The complaint states that upon arrival to the scene, Chief Peck and Officer O’Neil made contact with a child. Officer O’Neil asked the child where his mother was, and he stated inside. His mother, Elizabeth McClaine, was advised that the Clarion Borough Police received a report of a child running around outside with a knife.

The child told police that it was a real knife like a kitchen knife. He stated that it was inside and went in the front door to retrieve the knife. (He was not asked to go get the knife.) Chief Peck followed him to the residence, and McClaine shut the front door and blocked entry into the residence. For safety reasons, Chief Peck advised McClaine to move from the front door. She complied, and both Chief Peck and Officer O’Neil entered the residence, the complaint indicates.

The officers observed the house to be unclean and in a deplorable condition, the complaint states.

They observed the following conditions:

– There was liquid on the living room floor.
– A child was in the house who did not have any clothes on.
– Garbage was throughout the house.
– The kitchen had human feces on the floor.
– There was no food in the refrigerator except for four frozen meals in the freezer.
– There were dirty dishes.
– The kitchen floor was sticky.
– The bathroom had numerous flies and other unclean conditions.
– The children’s bedrooms had two dirty mattresses with no sheets.
– Another bedroom had human feces on the wall and floor.

Officer Kemmer took pictures of the condition of the residence.

The complaint states that Chief Peck again asked about the knife. The child once again stated that it was real.

Chief Peck contacted CYS and requested that they respond to the scene.

McClaine stated that she had just been through an inspection by CYS two days prior, and the residence was clean then, the complaint indicates.

Officer O’Neil was given the children’s names, but McClaine did not know their birthdays or their dates of birth “because she couldn’t think straight due to her being hit in the head,” according to the complaint.

McClaine told officers that she had a concussion approximately one year ago, and she gets them real easy now. She stated that she may have had a mini stroke in the past but wasn’t sure. She also stated that (one of the children) hit her in the head two days ago, and she has had a headache since then. She was attempting to contact her daughter and a CYS case worker but was unable to use her cell phone, according to the complaint.

McClaine was advised that CYS would be coming to her residence. She allegedly stated that she knew she needed help but was afraid to call because she didn’t want to get into any trouble for the condition of the residence, the complaint states.

McClaine complained again of a headache and stated that she was feeling confused and couldn’t remember things. Officer O’Neil then requested for an ambulance to respond to the scene to treat McClaine. McClaine was transported to the Clarion Hospital Emergency Room to get checked for any medical conditions.

While CYS was taking pictures of the children, it was determined that one of the boys had feces smeared on his back; he stated that his brother put it on him. CYS made arrangements to take the children to a known man’s residence until their biological father could pick them up, the complaint states.

Officers were unable to locate the knife anywhere in or around the residence, the complaint continues.

A preliminary arraignment is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. on August 18 in Magisterial District Judge Duane L. Quinn’s office on the following charges:

  • Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Misdemeanor 1 (3 counts)

A first-class summons for McClaine was issued on August 9.

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