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WILKES-BARRE — City police allege a mother appeared to be under the influence when she gave conflicting details about how her 2-year-old daughter was bitten by a dog on Sunday.
Police said Mary Biedka, 30, and her daughter were dropped off at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital at about 6 p.m. The toddler suffered severe dog bites to her face and neck and a puncture wound to her trachea that required her to be flown to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The toddler also suffered puncture wounds on her chest from what appeared to be from a dog standing on her chest, police said.
Biedka was prohibited from traveling with her daughter to Hershey Medical Center due to her condition, police said.
Police said Biedka admitted during an interview she snorted methamphetamine earlier Sunday.
According to the criminal complaint:
Biedka initially told police she was walking with her daughter to Turkey Hill when her child was bitten by a black dog she described looked like a “wolf.” She was not able to provide a location other than saying there was grass nearby.
Police said the toddler had no shoes and only wore underwear when she was taken to the hospital.
Officers checked Turkey Hill stores in the city and were not able to verify a dog attack.
Surveillance cameras at the hospital recorded Biedka and the toddler being dropped off by a dark colored Honda. She claimed she was visiting a friend she identified as Joseph White.
An officer arrived at White’s residence on North Pennsylvania Avenue discovering a pair of children’s sandals in the yard and blood spatter on the rear porch and door. The officer heard dogs barking inside and evidence something was dragged through dirt in the yard, the complaint says.
White told police he did not know what happened but drove Biedka and the girl to the hospital. He claimed he was awakened by Biedka screaming that her daughter was attacked by a dog at the Turkey Hill store on George Avenue.
Biedka claimed she was doing laundry inside the North Pennsylvania Avenue residence while her daughter was playing with two dogs in the rear yard. She heard a loud commotion and ran outside finding her daughter bleeding from the face and neck, the complaint says.
Police said in the complaint Biedka admitted she snorted methamphetamine earlier in the day and believed she should not be charged with a criminal offense, claiming it was an accident.
Biedka was arraigned Monday by District Judge Ferris Webby in Wright Township on charges of endangering the welfare of children and false reports to law enforcement. She was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.