Mother charged after allegedly abandoning her 3-year-old child for several hours

Shaniyah Trylynn Hunter, 25, of 609 Center St., has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after abandoning her 3-year-old daughter, leaving her alone for five hours after walking out of the house about 10 p.m. Dec. 6, city police alleged in an affidavit. More than two hours after Hunter left the residence, the girl wandered out of the house, calling for her mother, police were told. A witness who saw the girl walking alone through the Hepburn Plaza parking lot, trying to open car doors, called police about 12:16 a.m. Dec. 7, it was stated in a court document. The witness stayed with the child until officers arrived on the scene. The county’s Children and Youth department took protective custody of the child. Hunter returned to the house just before 4 a.m., and called police an hour later to file a missing child report. Hunter has waived her preliminary hearing before Biichle and is free on $5,000 bail.

Area woman allegedly threatened to burn down house

Cierra Lynn Frantz, 26, 5650 Northway Road, Cogan Station, will face further court action after she was held for court Monday on state police charges of terroristic threats and harassment that stem from her sending another woman an online message on April 27 stating that she was going to the woman’s home and set it on fire, state police alleged. The victim received the threat while in South Williamsport, police said. When questioned about the incident by a trooper the next day, Frantz said she made the threat “as a joke,” it was stated in an affidavit. After listening to testimony presented at the hearing, District Judge Gary Whiteman ruled there was sufficient evidence to hold Frantz on both charges. She remains free on $5,000 bail.

City woman accused of filing false theft report to police

After she crashed her car on Jan. 24, Lucrecia Skellenger walked away and then proceeded to call city police and file a false report claiming that her 2019 Nissan Rogue had been stolen, it was alleged in an affidavit. Video footage of the crash showed Skellenger, 50, of 1122 Dewey Ave., recording her leaving the scene, police said. The affidavit did not say where the crash took place. Charged with false reports to law enforcement and making unsworn falsification to authorities, Skellenger has since waived her preliminary hearing before Frey and was released on $5,000 bail.

City man jailed on shoplifting charge

Michael Howard Burd, 51, of 957 High St., walked into Sheetz at 330 Westminster Drive in Loyalsock Township about 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, grabbed a $1 alcoholic beverage and drank it right on the premises without paying for it, state police alleged. He was taken into custody and arraigned before District Judge Aaron Biichle on a misdemeanor charge of shoplifting and public drunkenness, and committed to the county prison in lieu of $2,500 bail. This was his second shoplifting offense, police said.