Williamsport A mother who allowed her late infant boy to live in unsanitary conditions in Lycoming County will be subject to court monitoring for almost seven years.
County Judge Nancy L. Butts sentenced 30-year-old Tallia German Charlebois, who now resides in Milton, on Tuesday for allegedly endangering the welfare of a child, a crime she entered a no contest plea to in November.
Charlebois was first accused with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of her 3-month-old baby Matteo on January 26, 2022.
When forensic pathologist Dr. Rameen Starling-Roney determined that the death was caused by natural causes from COVID-19, that charge was dismissed.
He testified at a hearing in January 2023 that while there was no indication of trauma, the toddler’s blood contained a trace amount of methamphetamine, which he claimed may have been caused by breastfeeding or hand-to-mouth contact.
Butts stated that putting Charlebois, who is seven months pregnant, in jail would be pointless.
On February 18, 2022, Tallia Charlebois exits a district judge’s office near Muncy, walking ahead of a constable. She was detained on charges of involuntary manslaughter and other offenses related to the murder of her young son. E. J. Rymza, her lawyer, is on the right.
She awarded her credit for the 57 days she had already served but sentenced her to 117 days to 23 months in prison. For the final sixty days of her minimum sentence, Charlebois will be under electronic monitoring. After that, she will be released on parole until the 23 months are over.
She will then be placed on probation for five years, during which time she will be required to submit to a drug and alcohol evaluation and abide by any advice given.
The judge said she hoped Charlebois had committed to her children and warned her against living in an environment where drugs are used. Her daughter is a year old.
Fentanyl was found near her deceased kid, which led to the dangerous accusation.
In a taped interview with state police, Charlebois acknowledged using drugs, telling them that on the day her son died, he snorted fentanyl at around one in the morning. At the time, she was residing in Montgomery.
At a previous hearing, Natalia Solomon, a friend Charlebois called to the flat on the evening of January 25 to assist with cleaning in anticipation of a visit from a Children and Youth caseworker the following day, stated:
She was worried about Charlebois and her son, so she left around five in the morning the next day and called 911 for a welfare check.
After determining that Matteo was awake, alert, and not in need of medical attention, state police arrived for the welfare check but left when they concluded Charlebois could take care of him.
A Children and Youth caseworker testified that she heard the infant making a fuss when she arrived at the appointed appointment at 10:30 a.m., but no one answered when she repeatedly knocked on the door.
Charlebois had reported to the police that she had discovered her son when she woke up in the early afternoon. After being transported to UPMC Muncy, he was declared deceased at 2:36 p.m.
The same day she was caught, she was imprisoned without being given bail. According to her lawyer, E.J. Rymsza, that made her mourn the death of her son in county prison.
He admitted that his client had made bad decisions in life and had acted carelessly by letting her son be around narcotics.
In a statement that Rymsza read, Charlebois claimed that the loss of her son had a significant effect on her and that she was not the same person she was three years prior.
She stated that she has resolved to change her behavior in order to respect her child’s memory.
Eric L. Birth, the assistant district attorney, argued in favor of a long probationary period. He mentioned that Charlebois was charged with retail theft in Northumberland County in 2023 while he was out on bond.
Stories by
John Beauge