Mother left toddler, 4-year-old children in 'deplorable' home to go help friend fight, police say

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A Pittsburgh mother of two is sitting in the Allegheny County Jail and her children are in the care of CYF after what police found in her Hill District home, authorities said.

The home on Bedford Avenue was in deplorable condition, and her 1- and 4-year-old children were there alone, according to police, who were called about 11:30 p.m. Monday to conduct a welfare check.

Mattie Sims, 23, allegedly left her children at the home to help her friend "fight someone," according to a criminal complaint. Police said the children were crying.

Soiled clothing, trash, human feces, old food and dirt covered the living room and kitchen, police said. A sippy cup with an empty gun holster under it was found next to a bottle of bleach and an open bottle of lighter fluid.

The complaint said the glass top of a coffee table with sharp edges was knocked off its base. The glass was resting sideways, and the children tripped over it, according to police.

In addition, police said there was no glass in the window in the children’s bedroom.

A neighbor who said she didn’t want to get involved told authorities she fed the children earlier in the night after they kept coming outside.

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