CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville couple has been charged after their four-year-old son was found unsupervised and improperly dressed while waiting for his school bus.
Chasity Chantel Barrett, 29, and Jerry James Barrett, 31, have been charged by Chief Mark Kelly of the Curwensville Borough police with one felony count of endangering the welfare of children.
Both waived their rights to preliminary hearings Wednesday during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail. Their bail is set at $5,000 unsecured.
The charges stem from an incident at 9:04 a.m. Feb. 21 at the Curwensville Commons, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Mike Morris.
A Cen-Clear bus driver arrived and discovered the four-year-old boy playing outside in the snow while wearing only a jacket, shorts and Velcro shoes. He didn’t have a hat, shirt or socks on.
Because it was reportedly 36 degrees outside, the driver put the boy on the school bus to stay warm. Kelly proceeded to Apartment 509 and pounded on the door repeatedly.
Though he continued to knock, he didn’t receive an answer and didn’t hear any noise inside. Kelly returned to the bus and contacted Clearfield County Children & Youth Services.
Kelly assumed protective custody of the boy and transported him to the station to await a CYS worker. When asked if he was home alone, he said “no, mommy and daddy are home” and asleep.
At that point, the CYS worker arrived and assumed care of the boy, and when she asked, he reportedly said he’d dressed himself that morning.
At approximately 9:48 a.m., Chasity Barrett called 911 and reported her son as missing. She was unable to provide a description of what he was wearing, according to the affidavit.
Kelly called Chasity Barrett and indicated he had custody of her son. She said she was worried and asked how long he’d been outside.
He explained the bus driver called 911 at approximately 9:04 a.m., and then advised Chasity Barrett she would be charged for the incident.
The CYS worker contacted the boy’s grandparents to take custody of him.
