Jul 8, 2015 2 min read

A North Strabane Township woman will be charged with endangering the welfare of children after township police discovered she and her two children were found living in filthy conditions when they were investigating a report the toddlers were wandering near traffic on Route 19 (Washington Road) Tuesday afternoon.

Sgt. Joseph Curnarski said that in his 36-year career he had never seen such squalor until he entered the trailer that Ruby Marie Rocco, 26, shared at 2555 Washington Road with her 2-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter and 26-year-old Jorge Sanchez-Viveros.

Police were called about 12:45 p.m. by township fire Capt. Christopher Chiprich and firefighter Dominic Sicchitano. The two were in the fire station almost across from the small trailer park when they noticed traffic stopped on Route 19. When they went to investigate, a driver told them he almost hit the little boy. The girl also was near the road.

Chiprich was able to find the children’s mother at the trailer. He told Curnarski one of the children was playing with a condom that was on the ground.

Curnarski went onto the porch, which was in poor condition. Rocco answered the door and he could see the deplorable conditions inside the trailer.

“It was horrible in there,” Curnarski said. “There was rotten food and flies were buzzing around.”

Dirty clothing was tossed on furniture that was rotting. Bare wooden flooring could be seen through torn and soiled carpeting. Police also said there was a stench of urine.

Curnarski said there was no running water and the only electrical power was at the front of the trailer for a television.

Rocco told police she worked the midnight shift two nights earlier and had trouble sleeping.

She said she went to sleep about 10 a.m., also putting the children to bed and told the 4-year-old to wake her if they needed anything. Sanchez-Viveros worked the overnight shift and also was sleeping. Rocco told police she and her children had been living there for about 10 days.

Washington County Children and Youth Services was contacted and a caseworker determined the children would not be permitted to live there.

Police also contacted a township zoning officer regarding the condition of the trailer and suggested the township consider starting the condemnation process.

The two counts of child endangerment against Rocco will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.