Woman charged with child endangerment
By Kathy McCarty
PRESQUE ISLE — A local woman has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an incident Friday night.
The Presque Isle Police Department received a call from a local man reporting his mother-in-law was intoxicated and had received a ride to his house with a man he didn’t know and with his mother-in-law was an infant (no age specified). The caller told police he didn’t know whose child it was and requested officers respond.
Officers Jeff Mechalko and Kevin Schumacher responded to a residence on Sunset Loop. They spoke with the man, identified as Sam Ricker, who’d given the woman a ride. Ricker indicated he was a traveling construction worker and was currently staying at a boarding house on Winter Street. He told police he heard a lot of noise coming from another occupant’s room. When he went to investigate, he found a group of intoxicated people pushing each other and the baby in the midst of it.
According to the police log, Ricker said the woman he gave a ride to suggested taking the child to her daughter and son-in-law’s home and that the police could be called from there.
Mechalko took the baby girl to The Aroostook Medical Center while Schumacher and Officer Peter Johnson responded to the Winter Street residence.
Upon arrival, officers located the child’s mother, identified as Brenda Mae Hines, 39, of Mars Hill. Police records indicate the woman was found passed out on the stairs. When she came to, she reportedly didn’t know where she was but refused medical attention.
When officers asked Hines if she knew where her baby was, she said “yes,” pointing to a car seat filled with various items, including beer bottles. She reportedly told police the baby was well taken care of and then started talking baby talk to the car seat. The police report also indicated the woman also stated the state already had an open case on her.
Officers arrested Hines for endangering the welfare of a child and domestic reckless conduct. She was transported to the Aroostook County Jail, with bail conditions to include sober release. DHHS was contacted and the baby was taken into custody.
No court date was available at press time.
