Mom, 18, arraigned on child endangering charges

Children Services turned the boy over to his father.

YOUNGSTOWN — A 2-year-old South Side boy alone on the sidewalk was snatched up by a deputy dog warden and placed in a county truck when a pit bull dog charged from bushes.

The mother of the little boy, 18-year-old Rachel Clinton of Campbell Street, was arraigned Wednesday in municipal court on a charge of child endangering. She’ll be back in court Oct. 24.

Deputy Dog Warden Sean Toohey said he, Dave Nelson, a deputy dog warden, and John Hall, Animal Charity humane agent, were in the 1200 block of Campbell to check out a report of a pit bull running loose around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Toohey said he placed the child in the truck for safety and then attention was turned to gain control of the loose dog. The pit bull ran into 1238 Campbell through the open front door — the way the little boy had come out and wandered down about three houses.

Toohey said he shut the door to make sure the dog stayed in the house. He said when the boy’s grandmother came to the door, she thought her grandson was inside and didn’t know where his mother was.

Police, who were called to the scene, also spoke to the boy’s grandmother, who told them she’d been sleeping. The boy’s mother had left him in the house and went down the street, reports show.

Earlier event

Officers learned that about a week ago a similar situation occurred when the mother returned to the house, after leaving the boy alone, and he was found by police down the street. No charge was filed at that time.

Once the mother was issued the child endangering citation on Tuesday, police and Mahoning County Children Services turned her son over to his father on Belden Avenue. The father was told to keep the boy until further notice.

Toohey said the child was removed from the home because of all the dogs inside. He said he found three pit bulls and a German shepherd.

Toohey said he issued citations to the grandparents, Robert and Christine Campbell, for failure to have insurance for the pit bulls and failure to have proper confinement. He said all the dogs are registered.