Two women face charges after Liberty motel incident

Staff report

LIBERTY

Two women from Warren and Toledo were released from the Trumbull County jail on $2,500 personal recognizance bonds Friday and face charges including child endangering and pending drug charges.

A Liberty police officer had been patrolling near Motel 30 Thursday afternoon and saw a small child wearing only a diaper walking on a balcony. The officer noted there were large gaps on the railing, and the child was also near a set of stairs, according to a police report.

The officer checked on the child and observed the child seemed malnourished, the report said.

A woman who had been talking to someone in the parking lot came up the stairs and yelled at the child as the officer spoke to the child. The officer noted the child just kept looking at the officer.

Another woman came to the balcony. The women were later identified as Brittany Jackson, 29, of Warren, the child’s mother, and Laura Moncrief, 47, of Toledo.

Neither claimed responsibility for watching the child.

Moncrief initially refused to give her information to officers and called her mother as the officer tried to get her information. Another child came out of the hotel at this time.

The officer searched the motel room and found a bag of suspected cocaine. The officer called Children’s Services, who took custody of the two children, the report said.

Jackson was charged with child endangerment with drug charges pending lab results for the suspected cocaine. Moncrief was charged with the same charges plus obstructing official business and resisting arrest.

The women are scheduled to appear at Girard Municipal Court on July 3 for a pre-trial hearing.