A Pine man faces felony charges after authorities accused him of being drunk while caring for three children.
Timothy Valiknac, 42, of the 100 block of Glendale Street, was charged by Northern Regional Police with three felony counts of endangering the welfare of children.
Police filed charges against Valiknac on Aug. 24, but a date for a preliminary hearing before District Judge William Wagner has not yet been scheduled because he is not in custody.
An warrant has been issued for his arrest, court officials said. A defendant need not be in custody for police to file criminal charges to be filed against them, according to court officials.
Police wrote in a criminal complaint charging Valiknac that an officer was dispatched to his address shortly after midnight on Aug. 8 for a report of a man who was unresponsive.
Investigators said that when police arrived, Valiknac was sitting on the floor and conscious, but unable to communicate with emergency medical personnel who arrived on scene because his speech was so slurred, the complaint said.
Police said Valiknac admitted to drinking alcohol during the evening but appeared “confused” and was unable to tell them how much or what type of alcohol he had consumed.
One of the children for whom he was caring told police they saw Valiknac “falling on the ground and tripping over” one of the other kids who was sleeping on the floor, the complaint said.
Police said Valiknac was taken to a hospital because of his “altered mental state” and his inability to provide medical personal with the information they needed while evaluating his condition, the complaint said.
The children were removed from the house by a family member who returned them to their mother, the complaint said.
Police said they consulted with an Allegheny County assistant district attorney before filing the criminal charges against Valiknac.
