Cops: 3-year-old left alone with 2 siblings in Monessen ingests THC-laced food

A Monessen couple was arrested Thursday, charged with three counts of child endangerment and illegal possession of a controlled substance after, police say, a 3-year-old boy left at home with two older siblings was found unresponsive after ingesting THC-laced food.

Kirsty M. Thorpe, 30, and Brandon M. Mitchell, 33, were arraigned on multiple criminal charges filed by city police and ordered held in the Westmoreland County prison after failing to post $50,000 and $10,000 bond, respectively.

Officer Jeffrey Smaracheck said the couple went grocery shopping in Belle Vernon and left the 3-year-old home alone with 12- and 10-year-old siblings. Just after 2 p.m., Smaracheck said police received a call from a relative of Thorpe that the 3-year-old was believed to have ingested THC-laced food left in the kitchen or a pill and was unresponsive.

The relative told police that she was on her way to the house after she received a telephone call from the 12-year-old sibling.

Smaracheck said, when officers arrived at the residence in the 600 block of Park Manor Road, there was still no adult supervision. All three children were taken by ambulance to Monongahela Valley Hospital for suspicion of narcotics ingestion, according to court documents.

When Thorpe and Mitchell arrived home, police said the couple said the three children “were sleeping when they left” to go grocery shopping.

“During the course of investigation, it was determined that both Thorpe and Mitchell had left cannabis-infused cooking oils, cookies containing THC and drug paraphernalia in various accessible areas of the home,” Smaracheck wrote in court documents.

Police seized three digital scales, a black nylon bag containing a small amount of marijuana and currency that appeared to have white powder residue on it.

Thorpe told police that she had a medical marijuana card. However, Smaracheck said police found the card was expired.

“Thorpe’s demeanor was that of being nonchalant. On several occasions, Thorpe expressed her belief that there was nothing wrong with leaving the children unattended,” Smaracheck wrote.

Smaracheck said “the house also appeared filthy” and took photographs to document the conditions.

Police reported the incident to the county children’s bureau. Smaracheck said, after the children were released from the hospital, they were placed in the custody of a relative.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 22 before District Judge Wayne Vlasic in Monessen.