A Bucks County man has been charged with felony child endangerment after two of his children allegedly found and ingested his THC gummies, leading to both being hospitalized.
Terence Oleary, 48, of New Britain Borough, is also facing a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child, following an investigation by the Central Bucks Regional Police Department. He is currently free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Police received a ChildLine referral on June 13 regarding two juveniles below the age of 10 who became ill under suspicious circumstances. The ChildLine referral indicated the youngest child began to complain of dizziness, a headache, and a funny taste in their mouth while attending a softball game, before they became unresponsive. The child was transported to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and the second child was admitted to Doylestown Hospital for evaluation after exhibiting similar symptoms, police said.
Several days later, the children’s parents were interviewed by police, at which point their father — identified as Oleary — allegedly took responsibility and stated he had placed THC gummies on top of his toolbox, and he believed the kids had somehow gotten them and consumed some of them, according to charging documents.
Medical records from CHOP that were provided to police showed the youngest child became “critically ill secondary to severe organ dysfunction requiring close monitoring in ICU for imminent danger of neurologic and respiratory compromise,” police said. Additionally, records provided to investigators by Doylestown Hospital showed the older child’s urine tested positive for cannabinoids, according to the criminal complaint.
Charges were filed against Oleary on July 11, and he was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage two days later. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on July 25 at 1 p.m. in front of Judge Armitage.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
See also:
Perkasie Man Accused of Stealing Items from Garage, Selling Them on Facebook Marketplace
Bucks County Woman Locked Her Two Young Kids in Shed, Threatened to Kill Them, Police Say
Former Employee Accused of Stealing More Than $43,000 from Daycare Facility in Franconia
