Cases Against Women Charged After Small Children Found Outside at Night Moves Forward in Court

BROOKVILLE BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – The cases against two women charged after two small children were reported wandering outside at night in Brookville Borough moved forward in court on Tuesday.

Court documents indicate 32-year-old Megan Bartley, of Butler, and 45-year-old Vondrea D. Holtz, of Brookville, stood for preliminary hearings in front of Magisterial District Judge Gregory M Bazylak on Tuesday, July 6.

The following charge against Holtz was waived for court:

– Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3

The following charges against Bartley were held for court:

– Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3
– Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Misdemeanor 1

All of the above charges have been transferred to the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas.

Holtz remains free on $10,000.00 unsecured bail, and Bartley remains free on $20,000.00 unsecured bail.

The charges stem from an incident in late April in Brookville Borough.

According to a criminal complaint, around 8:24 p.m. on April 24, Brookville Borough Police were dispatched to Jenks Street for a report of a child outside a residence, knocking on the door and looking for her mother.

Police then spoke to two witnesses who reported that they had been driving on Jenks Street when a car in front of them stopped, and they saw a small child crossing the road. They then noticed a second small child standing at the door of a residence, calling for her mother.

According to the complaint, the witnesses stopped and began knocking on the door, several times. They reported being able to see people upstairs, and they then threw rocks at a window, attempting to get the attention of the people inside. They reported a neighbor who was watching the situation then also came over to help and informed them there were apartments in the building. The witnesses, the neighbor, and the children then went inside and upstairs to the apartment where they could see people at the window.

The witnesses told police that after knocking at the apartment door several times, Vondrea Holtz came to the door, took the kids, and then closed the door. The witnesses reportedly noted that they could smell marijuana and became concerned for the children’s safety, so they then contacted police, according to the complaint.

Police responded to the apartment and knocked several times, announcing themselves as police, before Holtz answered.

According to the complaint, Holtz immediately stated she “did not do anything,” and said three people came to her door claiming the children were left outside unsupervised. She told police she was changing the diaper of one of the children when two men and a woman came to the door. She said the people were “very angry with their arms crossed as if she did something wrong.”

When asked about the children getting outside, Holtz offered to bring one of the children out to the steps to show that the child could not go down the steps by herself. She also noted she had friends over, including Megan Bartley, who had two children with her.

The complaint states police also noticed an odor of marijuana in the residence, although Holtz reportedly denied using marijuana.

Holtz then invited the officer into the residence. She explained that her daughter is a “blessing” and said she would “never do anything to harm” her and that she never lets the girl out of her sight, the complaint notes.

When police spoke to Bartley, she said she was bathing her two children when the people came to the door, and police noted one of the children was running around the house, still wet, with no diaper on as if she had just come out of the bath, the complaint continues.

According to the complaint, Holtz told police that she believed the report came from a known man, who is her “ex.” She said that he threatened to try to get her held in contempt of court if she didn’t drop her request for child support. She said the known man “would find a way to call CYS on her every day if he could,” and said she suspected he paid people to report her.

Bartley reportedly said she didn’t feel comfortable giving out her information and didn’t want to be involved in the situation; however, she failed to disclose to police that she was on Megan’s List, the complaint states.

Police also attempted to speak to the children, but none of them could verbalize much, according to the complaint.

Holtz told police the last time the children had been outside was earlier in the afternoon, and they had come inside around 4:00 p.m. to eat, the complaint states.

Representatives of Children and Youth Services then arrived at the scene and conducted an interview, and Holtz reportedly told them the same things she had told police. She was also asked to submit to a drug test, which the complaint states was negative for marijuana.

According to the complaint, none of the children appeared to be dirty, as if they had been outside of the house, and seemed to have just been bathed. It also notes that although all of the children could reach the doorknob of the residence, at least one of the children was hesitant about touching it when asked to do so.

On April 25, police spoke to the known man who reported that Holtz had contacted him the night before and told him that “three Mexicans” had been to the house and tried to break in and/or take the kids. He also said he couldn’t get ahold of her again after speaking to her.

Police then went back to the residence to speak to Holtz again. She reportedly told the officers that everything was okay and she had been sleeping, and police noted that two of the children were on the couch and one was in a nearby room.

Holtz then said “not trying to sound racist, but (three) Mexicans” had come knocking on her door, arms crossed, saying that her kids were outside unattended. She said she found it odd that if the kids were outside, the people didn’t bring them inside, and said she was concerned about “sex trafficking,” according to the complaint.

A second female present at the residence confirmed the same concern.

Police then asked Holtz to contact the known man to let him know the children were okay.


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