Staff writer
A Long Branch woman faces two counts of endangering the welfare of children after her 4-year-old son and 5-year-old niece wandered off after being left unattended at her home.
Tia Lynn Pickering, 34, of 413 Dally Road, was charged Monday by Southwest Regional police in connection with the May 24 incident.
Police were called about 7:45 p.m. for a report of missing children. While en route, Cpl. Ron VanScyoc received a description of clothing. Pickering and a neighbor, Robert Quigley Jr., were looking for the children in the adjacent Howe Cemetery when police arrived. Quigley told police the children always were wandering off.
Police contacted the Charleroi K-9 officer to have the dog assist in the search. VanScyoc also asked for helicopters from state police and Stat MedEvac.
About 9 p.m., a woman called to tell police that she found the children on Elco Hollow Road. The girl had scratches, cuts, grass stains and dirt on both legs. She also had blisters on her feet. The boy had small scratches on his chest. There were cuts and tears on his boots.
Alana Trusel, the mother of the missing girl, told police that Pickering called her to tell her the children were missing. Trusel had dropped her daughter and 1-year-old son at Pickering's home that afternoon.
Pickering called Trusel and said the children had taken off. She told Trusel that she would call police if she could not find the children. Trusel told Pickering to call police immediately.
Pickering told police that she thought the preschoolers were playing a game. She told police that she was in the residence for about three minutes before she discovered they were missing.
A resident told police he heard Pickering calling for the children 45 minutes before the call came over the scanner that they were missing.
"The children were found about a half-mile to three-quarters of a mile away from their home, and that is being very conservative," said police Chief John Hartman. "The area has thick woods and brush."