Sep 12, 2013 2 min read

A Burgettstown mother and her boyfriend face charges of endangering the welfare of children filed by McDonald police after her three young daughters were spotted alone on a borough street.

Brittany Lynn Whipkey, 29, and Leonard J. Weiser, 22, both of 136 Center Ave., face charges after residents in the area saw the girls Sept. 1 and called police.

A Burgettsown man told police that he saw the three girls, ages 1, 3 and 6, walking on the sidewalk unsupervised just before 10:30 a.m. He told police one child was crying and not wearing any clothing. Another girl was wearing just a diaper while the third was fully clothed.

The witness saw the girls enter the home at 136 Center. He said the door was wide open and he did not see any adult supervision.

A neighbor also told police she saw the three girls running in the middle of the street unsupervised. She also told police she did not see a parent or guardian attend to the children.

When the officer went to 136 Center, he could hear children crying inside the house. Whipkey answered the door. She told police she believed her oldest daughter unlocked the front door and the two younger girls followed her outside. Whipkey said she was not sure what time she woke up but admitted she did not check on her children.

Weiser told police he was sleeping and not aware the girls had left the house. Police noticed the front door was not equipped with any type of childproof lock.

Washington County Children and Youth Services was notified. The two were told to put a lock on the door.

The charge will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Gary Havelka.