Monongahela mother charged after death of infant son
A Monongahela mother was charged with homicide following the death of her 12-day-old son Tuesday.
Monongahela City Police and Tri Community Ambulance Service were dispatched to the home of Darian Helmantoler, 22, of Monongahela, just before 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to court documents.
The Washington County 911 Dispatch Center reported in her arrest papers that the child was not breathing. The caller was not communicating with the dispatchers and refused to perform CPR, the affidavit states.
Blood was found on the child’s face and Helmantoler’s right chest, according to the affidavit. A bloody paper towel was found in the bathroom.
Helmantoler told police she allowed the child to sleep in her bed while she fed him a bottle around 4 a.m., but she must have fallen asleep.
A doctor from Penn Highland Mon Valley Hospital, the affidavit states, found blue-gray coloring around the mouth and on the front of the child’s neck.
A preliminary arraignment took place at 11:50 a.m. Tuesday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20 before District Judge Mark Wilson.
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.
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