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City couple charged with child endangerment

Police allegedly find drugs in toddler’s room

Two city residents are facing child endangerment charges after a welfare check led officers to discover drugs in their toddler’s room, according to court documents.

Acycia Danyelle Marino, 29, and Colton Levi Stapleton, 28, were arraigned Dec. 19 by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on a felony count of endangering the welfare of children, as well as misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance, small amount marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Marino and Stapleton were remanded to the Blair County Prison, unable to post their bails of $100,000 each.

Altoona police were dispatched to an apartment along the 900 block of Second Avenue about 5:41 p.m. Dec. 18 after a caller reported their concern for the couple’s 2-year-old child because of alleged constant drug use in the home, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Marino allowed officers into the residence, where they reported seeing trash piled around the hallways and walkways, a double-edged sword in the child’s room, a piece of cut straw with white residue on the windowsill in the child’s bedroom and burnt tin foil on a dresser in the living room, where the child’s crib was also located.

During a safety sweep of the apartment, officers found drug packaging, burnt tin foil on top of a children’s book, straws, glass smoking devices and spoons with white residue in plain view, court documents state.

When asked if there were drugs in the residence, Stapleton told officers “not loose drugs.” Stapleton said people came to his apartment to use drugs in the bedroom next to the child’s room and then leave, police reported.

Officers executed a search warrant and found about 89 packets of suspected heroin, drug packaging material, needles in the child’s bedroom, three suboxone strips and a breastmilk bag containing marijuana. Piles of clothes on top of baseboard heaters were found to be hot to the touch and air flow vents were blocked in multiple rooms, court documents state.

According to the affidavit, there was very little edible food in the residence. Officers reported being unable to identify the food in the refrigerator due to the amount of mold present.

Stapleton waived his right to a preliminary hearing during Blair County Central Court on Monday, moving all charges against him to the court of common pleas. Marino is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Daniel C. DeAntonio on Jan. 8.

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