Westmoreland Co. Couple Gets Probation After Allegedly Locking Son In Trunk
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A Westmoreland County mother and father will serve probation after they allegedly locked their child in a trunk to help him get over being scared in the dark.
The defense attorney said it was a "game," but a judge didn't see it that way.
The couple accused of locking their now 5-year-old son in the trunk of the family car to cure his fear of the dark will not go to jail.
Instead, 26-year-old Jeffrey Lenhart and his wife, 24-year-old Danielle, of Latrobe, will serve two years of probation in an accelerated rehabilitation program because they are first-time offenders.
They also have to attend parenting classes.
The Lenharts had been charged with child endangerment back in January for luring the 3-year-old into the vehicle, giving him a flashlight and telling him to look for candy in the trunk.
Their attorney, Anthony Bompiani, at the time said, "I don't know what she was doing it, but then again, it wasn't a great decision."
Then, with the boy closed in the trunk and their other children sitting in the backseat, authorities say the Lenharts would drive nearly 10 miles from their home to Idlewild Park in Ligonier.
Officials say it happened three times.
"She realizes it was a mistake and she moving forward with it, and she's facing the consequences," said Bompiani.
If the Lenhart's complete their probation successfully, they may be eligible to have their record expunged.
RELATED LINKS
Investigators: Couple Locked 3-Year-Old In Trunk To Cure His Fear Of Darkness (1/24/14)
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