A Sewickley woman was sentenced Thursday to serve three years on probation for allowing her two-year-old son to ingest cocaine.
Arrica Ann Holwell, 23, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of child endangerment. According to court records, police responded to her home in July 2020 after a Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau caseworker was tipped off that Holwell and her boyfriend used drugs in the presence of the child.
Police said a drug test performed at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh found cocaine in the child’s system.
Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani approved the plea bargain, in which prosecutors agreed to dismiss a more serious charge of aggravated assault of a young child and a related misdemeanor reckless endangerment count.
Holwell told the judge the child is currently in her mother’s custody.
“I see my children every day. Things are going well,” Holwell said.
Channing Flanigan, 23, was charged with the same three offenses and his case is scheduled for trial in September.
Howell told troopers she and Flanigan used heroin and cocaine on occasion and only in their basement. According to court documents, she claimed they routinely washed their hands to prevent accidental exposure of the drugs to the child. The pair told police they used drugs about a week before the controlled substance was found in the child’s system and suggested the boy ingested the cocaine after he touched a doorknob to the basement, police said.
As part of Holwell’s probation sentence she was ordered to continue with drug and alcohol treatment.
