A Loretto couple are facing charges after
police say they left their baby for an
hour in an unlocked running car outside of
a bar.
According to a criminal complaint, 46-year
old Eric Ellis and 37-year-old Amber Mattix
are each facing a felony charge of
endangering the welfare of children, among
other charges.
State police say they were dispatched to the
Sankertown VFW for reports of a 15-month-old
baby left unattended in a vehicle Saturday night.
According to state police, a trooper arrived
to find the car running with the doors unlocked
and the baby sleeping in the back seat.
The trooper waited near the car for about five
minutes. During that time, no one came to check
on the baby, the complaint says.
The trooper entered the building and found
Ellis sitting at the bar drinking a beer.
The complaint says Mattix was outside the bar
in a gated recreational area.
Ellis told police that he and Mattix had been
inside the bar for over an hour, but were checking
on the child every 10 minutes, the complaint
says.
State police say a witness told the trooper that
the couple never checked on the child.
According to the complaint, the baby was placed
in the custody of a family member.
Mattix and Ellis are being held in the Cambria
County prison in lieu of $30,000 bond.
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