Police: Jeannette man charged after 2 children found in dog cage

A Jeannette man was jailed over the weekend on accusations that two children were found inside an animal cage in his girlfriend’s Jeannette home while he was their babysitter.

Brian M. Brabant, 26, was charged by Jeannette police on Saturday with two felony counts each of aggravated assault of a child less than 6 years old and endangering the welfare of children, and misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and simple assault, according to online court documents. Brabant also was charged with public drunkenness.

Brabant was arraigned Sunday before Derry District Judge Kelly Tua Hammers and placed in the Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bond, pending a preliminary hearing on Sept. 29 before Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis.

Jeannette police said the children were inside the cage in a bedroom in a house along North Carolina Way when they went to the residence on another matter.

Brabant’s fiance, Quanisha Knauss, who lives at the residence, said Monday the boy and girl, ages 2 and 4, are the children of her sister, Clydette Knauss, who also was living in the residence but was not home at the time. Quanisha Knauss said the youngsters were playing inside the pet dog’s cage with the door shut, but not locked, when police found them.

“It’s like a plaything for them,” Quanisha Knauss said of the children going into the cage.

Knauss said police mistook dirt on the faces of the children for feces.

“It’s just a misunderstanding,” Knauss said.

Police had come to the house on Saturday because one of their dogs was hit by a vehicle and later had to be euthanized because of its injuries, Knauss said.

Knaus said the children were placed in the custody of her sister, Clydette Knauss.