A Brighton Township, Pennsylvania, woman now faces criminal charges after police were called to her home earlier this month by her 8-year-old daughter. The child called 911 after she found her mother to be unresponsive. The child said that there were no other adults in the house at the time.

According to reports, the police and paramedics arrived at the woman's home shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 4. Brighton Township police reported that the woman was sitting on her couch when they arrived and that she appeared to be confused. The woman's three children were also in the home, including the child who called 911.

While paramedics were treating the woman and her children, an officer said that he noticed some papers in an ash tray that looked similar to packaging material commonly used for heroin.

The officer noted that the ash tray was resting on a table that was in front of the couch where the woman was sitting. When the woman saw the officer eyeing the papers, she claimed that her children had put candy wrappers in the ash tray. The officer then confiscated the papers.

After the officer confiscated the papers from her ash tray, she told police that she had recently found the papers in her attic in a box that was left by a relative. She also admitted to police that she lost consciousness after she had smoked marijuana with a relative earlier in the evening.

Because the woman was allegedly using a controlled substance such marijuana or heroin when she was caring for her children on her own, the officer charged the woman with child endangerment. She was also charged with possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.

If police search an individual's property without probable cause, any evidence obtained during the unlawful search could result in the dismissal of a criminal case. When individuals are accused of committing a crime after their home, computer or car has been searched and property has been seized, the individual may want to consider seeking guidance from an attorney in order to determine whether or not a search was unlawful.

Source: Beaver County Times, "Child called 911 for mom on drugs," J.D. Prose, Jan. 17, 2012