Woman accused of child neglect, possession of drug paraphernalia

A Lehighton woman accused of child neglect and found to be in possession of drugs will appear in court next month.

Trisa Brownmiller, 29, faces charges of endangering welfare of child and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Joelle Mota of the Mahoning Township Police Department:

At 12:36 a.m. Oct. 26, Mota, officer Tyler Meek and Chief Audie Mertz were dispatched to a home in the 700 block of North First Street to assist Children and Youth, the affidavit says.

Upon arriving on scene, officers made contact with Brownmiller, another woman, and a Children and Youth representative.

While speaking with the woman, she said that she and her son left the residence and told Brownmiller that she had to watch two younger boys, ages 1 and 9 months old.

When the woman and son returned home, they found the 1-year-old outside the residence in a diaper, and the woman said that Brownmiller was upstairs sleeping. At the time, the temperature was about 50 degrees outside.

Police then entered the home and the woman took them upstairs where Brownmiller, the woman’s son, and the kids stay.

While upstairs, Mota spotted a small plastic baggie resting on top of an ashtray within reach of the children.

Underneath a futon next to the children’s toys was a wooden box. The woman pulled the wooden box out and opened it. Inside the box there were numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including three uncapped syringes, a plastic baggie of rice, and numerous empty bags.

Brownmiller said the wooden box belonged to the woman’s son, but did not want to provide a written statement.

Brownmiller said she occasionally uses methamphetamine and heroin, but that she is not an addict.

Mertz advised Brownmiller that she would not to be prosecuted if she was willing to immediately go to the hospital for treatment.

Brownmiller declined to go, but said she would go to the hospital and contact the township police department.

She never contacted the department.

Brownmiller is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing before District Judge Eric Schrantz of Jim Thorpe at 1:40 p.m. Dec. 20.