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FAIRMOUNT TWP. — Nails and an animal trap were on the walkway to a residence on Mossville Road where Luzerne County Children and Youth caseworkers attempted to remove a child for safety reasons last month, according to court records.

State police at Shickshinny charged Robert Gerald Ball, 34, with endangering the welfare of a child and custody interference of a child alleging he refused to say where his child was located to caseworkers and troopers.

Caseworkers obtained a court order on July 29 for Ball to relinquish custody of his child due to prior incidents, alleged drug use and a belief the child was without parental care, court records say.

When troopers and caseworkers arrived at Ball’s residence later that day, they observed nails and an animal trap on a walkway leading to the front door.

Caseworkers were concerned about Ball’s mental health and prior incidents, including a harassment citation alleging he bit his girlfriend on July 9, and threatened to burn a house occupied by his girlfriend and another woman on July 11.

Ball was charged with terroristic threats and released on $10,000 bail.

Court records say he sent his girlfriend a text message saying, “Now I’m gonna burn [the woman’s] house down.”

Ball was arraigned Tuesday night by District Judge James Haggerty in Kingston and released on $10,000 unsecured bail, court records say.