Lower Burrell police accuse man of endangering his kids by driving drunk with them in vehicle

Lower Burrell police charged a man with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children after police said he was driving drunk with his two daughters in the vehicle early Friday morning.

After being taken into custody, the man’s school-age children were turned over to the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau after he failed to provide police with the name of someone who could take custody of them.

Keaton Leon Burrell, 51, of McKeesport also was charged with driving under the influence and four traffic violations after a city police Sgt. Brandon R. Noll pulled over a black Ford SUV he spotted weaving along Route 56 near Falcon Park Road shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 3, according to a criminal complaint.

Burrell is being detained in the Westmoreland County Jail after failing to post a $5,000 bond. He faces a preliminary hearing before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec on Dec. 14. Burrell did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Noll said Burrell also was speeding, had a broken center brake light and stopped 25 yards before the traffic signal at the intersection of Wildlife Lodge Road when it turned red, according to the complaint.

After the vehicle was pulled over, the officer found Burrell’s 12-year-old daughter sleeping in the front passenger seat and his 7-year-old daughter was asleep in a booster seat in the back.

Noll said that when questioned, Burrell admitted to drinking “a couple shots” of brandy and agreed to undergo a three-part field sobriety test, but declined to perform the “one-leg stand” portion, the complaint said.

Burrell could not provide the officer with a driver’s license and was charged with driving with a suspended state photo identification card.

Burrell also refused three requests to have blood withdrawn to be tested for the presence of alcohol or drugs.

A search of the vehicle turned up a .375 ml bottle of brandy that was about three-quarters empty, according to police.

After Burrell declined to provide officers with the names of someone who could take custody of his daughters after he was arrested, arrangements were made to have the girls picked up by staff from the county children’s bureau.