Jeannette police search for 5 people charged after baby ingested cocaine last summer
Feb. 16—Jeannette police are searching for five people after a 1-year-old girl reportedly ingested cocaine at a home in July and was hospitalized, according to court papers.
Arrest warrants were issued this week for the suspects: Shelly Ann Kemerer, 53; Latasha Cotrell, 35; Michael A. Dewberry, 35; Samantha Linn Stanford, 26; and Anna Marie Dengler, 49. Authorities said all of the them lived at the South Seventh Street home at the time.
The girl was dropped off there on July 7 by Dewberry and, when he returned the following morning, he took her to a hospital after she appeared lethargic and was acting odd, according to court papers. Testing at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh showed she had been exposed to cocaine, police said.
Kemerer and her daughter Cotrell were at the home overnight taking care of the girl. Cotrell told police she used cocaine several times throughout the evening. When police searched the home on July 8, they reported finding "a small circular pile of a white substance" on the carpet next to a couch where the girl was sleeping, according to court papers. Lab testing showed it was cocaine, police said.
Jeannette police dog Diesel and officers found pills that contained methamphetamine, marijuana, cash and a scale in locations around the house.
Cotrell and Kemerer are charged with aggravated assault, child endangerment, reckless endangerment and drug offenses. Dengler and her daughter Stanford are charged with drug offenses. Stanford and Dewberry are charged with child endangerment.
Anyone with information on their whereabouts can contact Jeannette police at 724-527-4013 or submit a tip on the department's CrimeWatch page.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .