3 Valley residents charged with child endangerment

Police say they found drugs in the home, along with a stolen gun that was near a young child.

Three Donora residents are facing felony charges of child endangerment after police said a toddler had access to a loaded stolen firearm and drugs inside a home.

Timothy Pace, 37, Kaden Pace-Davis, 19, and McKenzie Rose Fisher, 18, were charged following a March 11 incident at a residence on South Mellon Avenue.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, police were at the home assisting probation officers who were conducting an inspection of the residence as part of Pace’s probation supervision.

Police said officers were granted entry during the probation check, at which point they observed indicators of drug activity in plain view inside the home. That led to a more thorough search of the residence, according to the affidavit.

During the search, officers said they located a 20-month-old child in a bedroom area. Investigators alleged the child was in close proximity to a loaded .380 semi-automatic handgun containing seven rounds. The firearm was positioned near where the child had been lying, according to police.

Officers also reported finding marijuana, packaging materials and a pipe used to smoke marijuana on the floor within reach of the child. The child was unsupervised at the time, according to the affidavit.

During the investigation, police determined the handgun had been reported stolen from a business in New Eagle in 2023, the complaint states.

Police said Pace is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions. He is charged with prohibited possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, possessing of marijuana and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pace-Davis and Fisher are each charged with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

Pace and Pace-Davis are being held in the Washington County jail, each in lieu of $50,000, and face preliminary hearings at 9 a.m. April 1 before Magisterial District Judge Mark Wilson in Monongahela.