A Greensburg couple allegedly abandoned their three children — a 16-year-old boy and 5-year-old twins — for more than a week to avoid being served arrest warrants, Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department deputies allege in court documents filed Friday.

Ryan J. Mason, 39, and Destany Stamps, 36, were arrested at a Latrobe residence on Jan. 25, a day after sheriff’s deputies discovered the children hiding in a bedroom of a “filthy, bug infested home” on Cleveland Street in Greensburg, according to court documents. On Friday, Mason and Stamps were arraigned on charges of child endangerment.

“As we were searching the first floor of the residence, four deputies and myself were overwhelmed with the smell of rotting food and garbage. The house was also inundated with flying insects, to the point deputies had to cover their mouths as to not inhale them,” sheriff’s Sgt. Irvin Shipley reported.

Shipley said the home’s heating system was damaged and the house was warmed by portable heaters.

“I asked the 16-year-old male how long he had been in the bedroom and he stated for about a week or longer. I asked who was watching them and he stated, ‘I have. … I’m doing the best I can do. … They just left us,’ ” Shipley reported. “The 16-year-old then started crying.”

When he asked what the children had been eating, Shipley said, the teenager pointed to a jar of peanut butter on a bedroom stand “that was surrounded by garbage.”

“They didn’t even have any bread,” Deputy John Dixon said Friday. “It was really bad, and those kids were just abandoned. … We were there a day earlier, knocking on the door for about 30 minutes, but nobody answered.”

Deputies believe the children were instructed not to answer the door and to hide in the rear bedroom. The teenager said he couldn’t recall when he last attended school.

Shipley said the three children were covered “in filth and their hair was completely matted, and they were also complaining of being itchy.” He said they could not remember when they last bathed.

Deputies placed the children into the custody of the county children’s bureau as they continued searching for Mason, who was wanted on drug-possession related complaints. Greensburg police in December filed charges against Mason for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and marijuana.

Stamps was wanted for violating terms of probation in a 2018 theft case, according to online dockets.

“It’s a shame children were kept in such deplorable, disgusting conditions. It shows what drugs can do to people,” said Sheriff Jon Held.

County detectives and Latrobe police arrested Mason and Stamps, after deputies learned they were at a residence on Spring Street in Latrobe, Shipley said.

The couple are being held in the county jail. Mason’s bond totaled $55,000 and Stamps’ was set at $5,000.

When they were taken into custody, Patrolman Robert Derk reported in court documents that Mason had a plastic bag with suspected methamphetamine.

Police charged Mason with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.

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