Woman charged after kids left alone with oven door open, turned on, front door unlocked

EAST HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A woman was charged with endangering the welfare of children after troopers discovered two young kids in an 80-degree apartment with the oven turned on and the door open and the front door unlocked.

State Police said Danielle Thompson then called authorities the next morning to report that the children were missing. Children and Youth Services had already taken custody of the children.

Troopers said they were called to the Huntingdon Village apartment building in East Huntingdon Township at about 10 p.m. Friday after someone called and said she heard a toddler knocking on the door and crying for about 15 minutes.

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When police arrived, they found the door unlocked and open. As they went into the apartment, they saw the oven door open and “the oven racks were orange" after running as a form of heat. Police said one child was found sleeping on the carpet next to a pile of toys with no shirt on. Another child was found in a rear bedroom in a crib with dried vomit around their mouth and wearing dirty clothes.

Troopers said the children “were visibly hungry” and one had a dirty diaper that needed changing.

Court documents said Thompson didn’t know the kids were gone until just after 6:30 a.m. Saturday when she called police to report them missing.

Thompson is now at the Westmoreland County Jail charged with recklessly endangering the welfare of children.

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