OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — The criminal case against an Oil City man accused of child endangerment has been waived for court.

According to online court documents, Oil City Police filed criminal charges against 51-year-old James Paul Dunkle, of Oil City.

On February 24, officers of the Oil City Police Department responded to a residence on the 700 block of Colbert Avenue. A resident called and reported a female juvenile was at her residence, and she was left unattended. According to the caller, the juvenile stated she was home alone, according to a criminal complaint.

Patrolmen Ruditis and Culp arrived at the scene and made contact with the caller and the child. The child was known to the officers from prior law enforcement matters concerning her welfare and her parent violating a duty of care. Patrolman Ruditis observed the child did not have socks on but was otherwise fully dressed. The caller advised that she believed the child had a bowel movement in her pants and needed to be tended.

The officers traveled to the child’s place of residence, also on the 700 block of Colbert Avenue, in an attempt to make contact with her father, James Dunkle. Dunkle was also known to the officers from prior law enforcement matters regarding the child. The child had prior issues regarding hygiene as well as no one being present to retrieve her from school.

When the officers arrived at Dunkle’s residence, they observed the front door hanging wide open. Patrolman Ruditis began knocking on the door and announcing his presence. He called out multiple times with no result. He then entered the residence and conducted a welfare and safety check. Upon traveling to the second floor of the residence, he found Dunkle laying on a bed asleep. He again began announcing for Dunkle to wake up, and he told Dunkle why the officers were there. Dunkle did not appear coherent and did not respond to the officers. They advised him that the child was going to be taken into protective custody, but Dunkle still did not respond, the complaint states.

After the initial contact with Dunkle, and no response from him, the officers gathered clothing, including clean underwear, shoes, and a jacket for the child. Then, they traveled back to the other residence where the child had remained with the resident who alerted police. They requested that the female resident assist with the changing and hygiene issues as they prepared to transport the child to the Oil City Police Department. While she was tending to the child, Patrolman Deloe arrived, according to the complaint.

Patrolmen Ruditis and Culp then traveled back to Dunkle’s residence. They again attempted to contact Dunkle, still with no response. They entered the residence and found Dunkle asleep again — and still not coherent. They advised him he was under arrest for child endangerment. Dunkle was taken into custody and escorted to their marked patrol car. He was then transported to the Oil City Police Department. Once they arrived, Dunkle was escorted inside the holding cell area, where a search of Dunkle’s person revealed a small green smoking pipe with an odor of burnt marijuana. The item was seized and entered into evidence, the complaint states.

Dunkle was arraigned at 11:20 a.m. on February 24, in District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office on the following charges:

– Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor

Unable to post $20,000.00 monetary bail, he was lodged in the Venango County Jail on February 24.

Charges were waived on February 28, and the case was transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.

Dunkle is currently free, as bail was changed to $20,000.00 unsecured on February 28.

The case is currently working its way through the court system.