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Bentleyville man convicted of child endangerment gets 6 to 23 months

By Susy Kelly skelly@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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A Fayette County judge on Wednesday ordered a Bentleyville man to spend up to 23 months in jail for injuring a 2-year-old in his care in 2014.

Last month, a jury found 20-year-old Joshua Tannous guilty of simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Prior to Judge Nancy D. Vernon handing down the six-to-23-month sentence, attorney Anthony Bompiani addressed the court on Tannous’ behalf.

“Mr. Tannous has accepted responsibility for what occurred,” said Bompiani, adding that his client knew it was wrong to imbibe drugs and alcohol while he was responsible for the care of the 2-year-old and her sister, who was 6 months old at the time.

Tannous faced trial for charges related to injuries sustained by the baby, and he was acquitted of those charges.

According to testimony, Tannous was staying with his friends, Mathew and Tracy Price, at their Belle Vernon home and he occasionally cared for their two children.

On the night of Feb. 3, 2014, Tannous woke the Prices to tell them the baby choked on her milk and wasn’t breathing, Tracy Price testified. The baby was taken to the hospital, and, doctors requested to see the 2-year-old as well, according to testimony.

Southwest Regional Police were alerted when doctors at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh discovered the 2-year-old had two fractured collarbones and a broken right scapula, and tests revealed the baby had earlier head trauma consistent with shaken baby syndrome, as well as a leg fracture.

The Prices also face child endangerment charges.

They will be tried at a later date.

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