Jun 24, 2016 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – A West Virginia woman was charged Wednesday with endangering the welfare of a 3-year-old Waynesburg boy, who was found living in deplorable conditions and had a second-degree burn on his chest in December.

Waynesburg police Chief Rob Toth said the boy’s aunt, Roberta J. Lightcap, 27, of Rivesville, W.Va. , was watching the child from Nov. 27 until Dec. 2 at a residence at 400 E. Franklin St. in the borough. Other people were living at the trailer, but Toth said Lightcap was in charge of caring for the child at the time. He did not say if the child’s parents were involved in his life.

During that time, the child suffered the burn and a neighbor contacted police to ask for a welfare check, according to court documents.

Toth, who responded to the mobile home, said Lightcap initially told him there was no child living there, but eventually brought the child out from the back. Toth wrote in court documents he saw a small burn on the child directly above his nipple.

Lightcap told police the child pulled a lamp down on himself, causing the burn, according to court documents. She also told Toth she took him to the hospital and was using a prescribed ointment on the wound, but she could not provide the ointment or discharge papers from the hospital.

The child was living in deplorable conditions, Toth said.

“The trailer was filled with filth, trash and unsafe living conditions. When I opened the refrigerator, the door fell off in my hand,” Toth wrote in the complaint, adding there was spoiled food inside.

Toth said the child was about 6 pounds underweight and his sippy cup was filled with mold sitting on the floor of the residence next to empty beer and liquor bottles, along with dirty clothes.

When he asked Lightcap what she was feeding the child, she allegedly responded, “Someone drank the last Mountain Dew,” according to the criminal complaint.

Toth said a bucket was used as a toilet.

Lightcap was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 28 at District Judge Jesse Cramer’s office in Waynesburg.

Toth said the 3-year-old is now in foster care and doing better.

“When I first met him, he didn’t look like a typical kid,” Toth said Friday. “He was scared and really dirty.”

Toth took the child presents during Christmas and said the child “made sure to pick up every piece of wrapping paper and threw it away.”

The 3-year-old toured both the police and fire stations in Waynesburg, Toth said.

“He’s doing really well now,” Toth said. “He looks like a normal kid.”