According to the criminal complaint, Ashley Anne Birchfield, 33, of Ellwood City, is facing charges of endangering the welfare of children after an incident on August 29.
On August 29 at approximately 11p.m. officers responded to a complaint that the residents of the apartment were smoking and the smoke was emanating throughout the hallways of the apartment building.
Officers knocked on the suspects door and a juvenile answered, leaving the door open while he searched for an adult. Officers observed a cloudy haze throughout the apartment and a strong smell of marijuana.
Birchfield was laying down with a juvenile asleep beside her, officers advised her why they were there and asked if there was any marijuana and drug paraphernalia was in the apartment. Birchfield stated she did not have any and that she had smoked the rest of the marijuana right before the police arrived.
Officers observed a multicolored glass pipe at the end of the mattress within reach of the suspect, another pipe was found underneath of her and suspected marijuana residue on the mattress.
Upon searching the rest of the room where the suspect and juvenile were laying, her purse which was sitting next to the mattress contained another glass pipe, a metal grinder, and a plastic bag with a small amount of suspected marijuana reside.
One of the juvenile’s rooms was searched which uncovered a manilla envelope addressed to Birchfield that contained two glass pipes.
The evidence was seized and transported to ECPD to be placed into evidence.
Along with being charged with endangering the welfare of children, Birchfield will also be facing charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
I hope she doesn’t lose her children over this. Meanwhile, I have seen clearly drunk parents pick up their children from school, and the police let them get in the vehicle because they can’t “smell alcohol on them”.
This is discrimination. You DO NOT deserve to lose your children simply because you like to smoke.