Police have charged a Bellefonte woman after she was accused of giving methamphetamine to children and bathing them in bleach as a result of her drug-induced paranoia.
Bellefonte Borough police say Tara Auman, 33, faces multiple misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and child endangerment, according to online court documents.
Police say in early April, they received a CYS report alleging that Auman was smoking and providing methamphetamine to children.
Investigators say they spoke with the eldest of the four children in Auman’s care, who told police that he/she was “failing school” because they often had to stay home to take care of the other, younger children as Auman was “always sleeping.”
Police say the child also admitted that Auman would often give methamphetamine to the children.
Police say further investigation revealed that Auman had, on one occasion, bathed two of the children in bleach and had sprayed them with alcohol as, according to the eldest child, she believed that “there were bugs coming out of them.”
Authorities noted that bathing the children in bleach was not an isolated incident and that it had occurred more than once.
Police say the eldest child also noted other safety concerns including Auman “falling asleep” while driving with the children in the vehicle.
Auman was arraigned Tuesday afternoon to the Centre County Correctional Facility, on $5,000 bail, court dockets show.
Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 11.
