Kiski Township mother accused of assaulting teen, having child live in deplorable conditions

A Kiski Township woman is accused of having her child live in deplorable conditions and assaulting a teen Monday evening.

Mindy M. Smith, 44, was taken into custody in a welfare check at a home in the 500 block of Flat Rock Road.

Police said the officer responding to the call was invited inside by Smith to “just come in and look.”

According to a criminal complaint filed in the case, the police officer said the home’s main door had been ripped off its hinges, and the screen door had been replaced with cardboard. As a result, there was no lock on the door.

“Inside the living room, there were numerous piles of boxes, making it impossible to navigate the room,” the officer wrote. Dog waste stained the carpet.

When shown the girl’s bedroom, the officer said he found “boxes and clothes all over the floor and bed, making it impossible for the juvenile to sleep or even go in there.” Smith told police her daughter sleeps “on the couch in the living room,” the complaint said.

Police said there was no couch, but “two separate chairs which are pushed together and a leg rest is used for the juvenile to lie on.

“On the chair right beside where the juvenile sleeps is clothing and boxes filled with clothes and garbage. This leaves the juvenile with only a little cubby to sleep on the chair,” the complaint said.

In two other bedrooms, police said they found similar piles of clothing and garbage, so much so that a bedroom door could not open the whole way.

Police said doors to two of the other bedrooms had been ripped from their hinges.

In addition, police said they found a jar of marijuana, pills and “multiple alcoholic beverages” amid the clutter the girl could easily have accessed.

Police said they also found the toilet did not work.

Officers took the child into custody and released her to a relative.

Further investigation revealed Smith allegedly attempted to stab an 18-year-old man in the neck with a piece of door trim before officers’ arrival.

Police said the victim was able to fend off the attack and left the residence.

Smith is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and harassment.

Smith was lodged at Armstrong County Jail in Kittanning and was to be arraigned by District Justice James Andring.