POINT TOWNSHIP - The mother of a 9-year-old boy who died Oct. 13 from an apparent drug overdose has been charged with two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children.
Angela Marie Clark, 30, of 207 S. Tenth St., Sunbury, was arraigned on the charges Friday morning by Magisterial District Judge Michael Diehl in Milton and committed to Northumberland County Prison in lieu of $25,000 cash bail.
Clark is accused by Point Township police of allowing her son, Korbin Rager, 9, and his 13-year-old brother to be under the supervision of Victor W. Hare III, 58, of 196 Springhouse Road, Northumberland, knowing he was unfit to care for them. Police said Clark had previously accused Hare of attacking her and molesting her sons and knew he had a substance abuse problem.
Boys didn't want to go
According to a criminal complaint filed Point Township Police Chief Joshua VanKirk, Clark had first-hand knowledge of Hare's drug problem and was cautioned by friends and family members not to leave her children in his care.
Police said Rager's 13-year-old brother reported a similar incident happened earlier this summer involving the victim when they stayed overnight at Hare's house.
The complaint states that Clark, who is Hare's friend, was furious after her son told her about the earlier incident and didn't allow her children to stay with Hare until the night before his death.
The 13-year-old boy told police he and his brother didn't want to go to Hare's home Oct. 12, but their mother urged them to do so by claiming Hare was "doing better" despite knowing that Hare had been "high and drunk all the time."
The boy and other witnesses indicated Clark kept her sons away from Hare "unless she needed something from him." According to police, Hare told Clark the boys stole 40 Oxycontin pills and a large sum of cash from him. Some of the pills and money were found at Clark's home and returned to Hare by Clark.
Clark claimed Hare had once gave her 9-year-old son a spoonful of crushed "oxy" when he had a headache and she found the boy "glazed over" and itchy from the drug.
Abuse accusations
Police said Clark was employed as a caretaker for Hare, but after only a short time, she refused to care for him due to his abuse of medication. Clark told a family member that Hare tried to attack her once while she was caring for him and also hit two parked cars while he was supposed to be watching two boys.
Clark told police she knew there was an excessive amount of alcohol in Hare's home and accused Hare of molesting her boys prior to letting them stay with him Oct. 12.
On Nov. 13, police received a call from Children and Youth Services caseworker Amy Orner that Clark had been ignoring a safety plan that required her to clear with the agency any potential caretakers for her 13-year-old son before allowing them to watch the child.
Hare's charges
Hare was previously charged by Point Township police with felonies of endangering the welfare of children and gun possession in connection with Rager's death. He remains incarcerated at the county prison in lieu of $290,000 cash bail after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Police said a search of Hare's home turned up more than 40 bottles of various prescriptions, including Oxycontin. There was also alcohol throughout the house. None of it was secured, police said.
Also found in Hare's bedroom closet were a hinge-action 12-gauge shotgun and two bolt-action .22-caliber rifles. He is a previously convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Police said numerous carpet burns from Hare smoking cigarettes were found next to a couch where the boys were sleeping on the morning Rager died from an apparent drug overdose.