Mar 13, 2026 By Mike Jones 4 min read

Defense attorneys for the parents accused of raising their two young children in unsanitary conditions in their Charleroi apartment argued that the Haitian immigrants were trying to do the best they could living in a place that did not have running water or a functioning toilet.

Jackson Alexis, 40, and Roldy Noel, 37, were charged last month with two counts each of felony child endangerment after their 5-year-old daughter called 911 on Feb. 21 to report that she thought her father was dead.

Charleroi Regional police Officer Edward Henry arrived at the second-floor apartment at 515 McKean Ave. in the borough and found the residence to be “cluttered” with dishes piling up in the sink and dirty water in the bathtub. The toilet did not work and was covered with a bag, and the officer witnessed the girl using a bucket to urinate while he was there, Henry testified during the couple’s preliminary hearing Thursday in Washington County Central Court.

“There was no running water,” Henry said. “The toilet was closed and there was a bag over it. The bathtub was filled with brown water.”

Henry saw Alexis lying prone on the floor, but he was conscious and alert. Medics were called to the scene and checked Alexis for apparent chest pains at the time, although the girl and an infant child also inside the apartment did not need medical attention. Henry said it was difficult to overcome the language barrier with Alexis, and he had to use Google Translate to speak with Noel.

A friend of the couple sat between them at the defense table during the hearing and spoke Haitian Creole to translate the testimony so the two defendants could understand the court proceeding. Both were shackled and wearing orange jail jumpsuits while attending the hearing.

J.P. Vensel, who is the public defender for Alexis, repeatedly asked Henry whether he knew the apartment lease’s terms or whether the landlord or the tenants were responsible for utility bills and garbage services, to which the officer said he did not know the answer.

“The patrolman did not inquire about who owned the property,” Vensel said.

Vensel questioned the decision to prosecute the two parents and instead suggested that police did not do enough to investigate the apartment landlord and what culpability they had with the living conditions and lack of running water or working toilets.

“The commonwealth chooses to see this as an abusive situation or neglectful situation. But what we have here is two immigrants – the working poor – trying to make it work in this country,” Vensel said. “These desperate people coming from a desperate and frankly broke country are struggling for survival, and the commonwealth wants to punish them for that.”

Jacob Mihalov, who is the defense attorney for Noel, argued that his client was not even home at the time police were called because she was working a double shift trying to support the family. He added that the refrigerator was filled with food and the little girl’s bedroom was clean, while also questioning who was responsible for ensuring the apartment had running water.

“If this is endangering the welfare, then we’re all one utility bill away from endangering the welfare,” Mihalov said. “If this is endangering the welfare, then we’re all one crappy landlord away from endangering the welfare.”

The couple’s two children are in the care of Children & Youth Services.

After listening to testimony for about 30 minutes, District Judge Eric Porter ordered both to stand trial on the two counts each of felony child endangerment. Porter also declined to alter Noel’s bond that is set at $25,000 cash, or offer Alexis any bond since he is being held on an immigration detainer.

Lucner Joseph, 43, and 40-year-old Navilia Norazier – the other couple living in the apartment with four children at the time – are facing similar felony child endangerment charges and were also set to appear before Porter for their preliminary hearing. However, they asked the magistrate for a continuance while they apply for a public defender, which Porter allowed. Both are free on $25,000 cash bond while they await their case to proceed.