Woman Charged With Child Endangerment After 3-Year-Old Found Wandering in Oil City

| August 21, 2019

OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – An Oil City woman is facing child endangerment charges after a three-year-old was found wandering the street.

Court documents indicate the Oil City Police Department filed criminal charges against 25-year-old Barbara Ann-Lane (Rice) Swartz, of Oil City, on August 20.

The charges stem from an investigation initiated by the Oil City Police Department regarding an incident of child endangerment involving Barbara Swartz.

According to a criminal complaint, on Friday, August 16, officers of the Oil City Police Department were dispatched to the 200 Block of Clarion Street for a report of an approximately three-year-old male child wandering alone without supervision.

Sr. Patrolman Ruditis and Interim Chief David Ragon responded to the scene and made contact with the child and the caller.

The complaint notes the child was known to Patrolman Ruditis from similar incidents in the past.

The child was transported to the Oil City Police Department to await the assistance of Venango County Children and Youth Services (CYS).

According to the complaint, based on the circumstances and multiple similar prior incidents, it was found that Barbara Ann-Lane Swartz (Rice) violated her duty of care and supervision for the child.

One count of first-degree misdemeanor child endangerment was filed through
Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office on Tuesday, August 20.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25, with Judge Fish presiding.

A certified summons was issued to Swartz on August 20.


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