CLEARFIELD – A woman stands accused after a young child she was babysitting got out of her apartment and was found without a coat in very cold temperatures near an area of heavy traffic in Clearfield Borough.
Jennifer Marie Williams, 29, of Clearfield has been charged by police with endangering welfare of children, M1. Her preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10:15 a.m. May 4 at Centralized Court.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on March 4 police were dispatched to the Clearfield Presbyterian Church, while a small child was brought there by two men working in the area of North Second and East Pine streets.
The area is near state Route 153, a two-lane highway with heavy traffic flow, police noted in the affidavit. Upon arrival to the scene, police spoke with one of the workers and a staff member from the church and pre-school.
The worker told police he was in the area of North Second and East Pine streets when he observed the child standing on the street corner. The child was not wearing a coat, and the temperature was very cold between 25 and 34 degrees, he said.
He said that the child looked very cold and was calling out for her mother. He tried to talk with the child who had difficulty verbalizing her name, and he wasn’t able to understand her, according to the affidavit.
Police then spoke to a church staff member. She didn’t recognize the child from being in the pre-school or from playing in the neighborhood. Police then attempted to get the child’s name, age and mother’s name from her; however, it was difficult to understand her due to her age.
As a result, police had the child taken into protective custody. The child was turned over to Clearfield County Children & Youth Services. Police then began searching the neighborhood for the child’s mother.
Police received information the operator of a sports utility vehicle had been driving in the area, and it was believed the occupants were looking for the child. Police were subsequently directed to an apartment on East Pine Street.
In the area of the apartment, police observed a female yelling a name in a private parking lot. When police knocked on the apartment door, they made contact with Williams. Williams appeared to be upset, had watery eyes and a flushed face.
Williams told police she was babysitting for an acquaintance. The child, she said, must have opened her apartment door and walked away. She pointed to the door and stated it looked like it was locked by the position of the locking mechanism.
However, police alleged in the affidavit that her apartment door was not locked, and the child was able to open it. Williams said that she had been sleeping, and the child’s mother had gone to Wal-Mart.
While at the scene, police questioned Williams about any prescription medication she may have taken. She told police she was on methadone, and she provided her address as being on North Second Street.
Williams was instructed by police to report to CYS to take custody of the child. She was also told to contact the mother and notify her of the location of her child.
Williams later reported to Clearfield County Adult Probation, where she admitted to taking Ativan without a prescription. Further, she told probation that she had taken the Ativan on March 1, according to the affidavit.