A 48 year old woman has been sentenced on two counts of child endangerment for allegedly allowing her underage granddaughter and four teenage friends to get drunk during a party at her home three days before Christmas.
Treva June Hartman appeared before Judge David Patterson in DeKalb County Criminal Court Tuesday and was sentenced to two years in each case to run consecutively with each other for a total of four years. She will be on probation. Hartman is to undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and attend parenting classes.
Meanwhile, 21 year old Bryan Luke Vollrath, who allegedly brought liquor to the party and shared it with the teenagers, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of child abuse/neglect endangerment and received two years in each case to run consecutively for a total of four years but concurrently with a Van Buren County sentence against him. He must serve at least thirty percent of the sentence before parole eligibility. Vollrath is to undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and follow the recommendations. He was given jail credit of 185 days.
Police said the juveniles in the case included a 13 year old girl, two 15 year old girls, a 15 year old boy, and a 17 year old boy.
Chief Randy Caplinger told WJLE that on Saturday December 22, Smithville Police officers were called to Hartman’s residence on West Bryant Street to investigate a possible domestic complaint. Upon arrival, the officers found Hartman along with five juveniles and two adults under age 21 who were all intoxicated. According to Chief Caplinger, a 13 year old girl and 17 year old boy were so drunk that they had to be transported to the emergency room of the hospital for treatment.
Hartman, who allegedly took several shots of liquor with the teenagers, was also accused of assaulting one of the teens. “After speaking with everyone there, it was determined that Hartman had assaulted one of the juveniles,” said Chief Caplinger. “The juvenile had physical marks on her body. The others (at the party) said she became upset, entered the room where the child was and started kicking her. The child had several scratches on her,” said Chief Caplinger.
“Vollrath admitted to detectives that he brought alcohol and multiple bottles of liquor to the party at the residence and shared it with the juveniles, knowing their ages,” Chief Caplinger said.
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