A Bucks County woman has been sentenced to time served and probation after pleading no contest to charges stemming from an investigation into the alleged abuse of her two children last year.
A Bucks County woman has been sentenced to time served and probation after pleading no contest to charges stemming from an investigation into the alleged abuse of her two children last year in Hilltown Township.
Heather Riddle, 41, pleaded no contests on June 3 to one felony count and one misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of children, along with misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats and simple assault, court records show. She was subsequently sentenced to 11½ to 23 months in jail, followed by three years’ probation, however with credit for time served, Riddle is eligible for release later this month.
A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt; rather, the plea is an admission that prosecutors likely had enough evidence to secure a guilty verdict at trial.
A spokesperson for the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Riddle will be eligible for parole this month but added that several conditions must be met prior to her release. Further review of court records indicates Riddle must undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations prior to being paroled, and she must have treatment plans in place as well as secure housing prior to her release.
The investigation began in January 2023, after the Bucks County Office of Children and Youth was notified of alleged domestic violence between Riddle and her romantic partner. Two of Riddle’s children — both under 8 years old — were interviewed at the Bucks County Child Advocacy Center, with the youngest saying they didn’t want to talk and wanted to return to their foster home, and the older sibling stating that Riddle made them scared and would hurt them and their sibling, according to charging documents.
The child stated that on one evening in November 2022, Riddle held a knife to their face along with their sibling, then took them both outside and locked them in a shed behind their home on Hilltown Pike, police said. The child stated they begged to be let out, but Riddle instead held a lighter up, threatened to burn the shed down, then said she was going to bed and “hoped they died in the cold,” according to the criminal complaint.
The two children were left alone in the dark shed for approximately an hour, with the oldest sibling giving their jacket to their younger sibling to use as a blanket and the two huddling together for warmth, police said.
Riddle also allegedly punched one of the children in the face and smashed their head into a wall on other occasions, according to investigators.
The younger sibling was interviewed again in March 2023, at which time they corroborated the older sibling’s account of events and abuse, police said. A search warrant was executed on the home around the same time, with police saying the interior matched the descriptions provided by the children.
Both children currently remain in foster care, according to officials.
A review of court records shows Riddle has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2002, when she was arrested in Bristol Township on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment. Riddle has had multiple convictions since then, mostly for misdemeanor charges of simple assault, trespassing, false incrimination, criminal mischief, retail theft, and related offenses.
Most recently, Riddle was sentenced to seven years’ probation in January 2022 as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors on two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child and misdemeanor counts of DUI, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, driving on a suspended license, and careless driving.
Riddle was on probation at the time of her arrest on the most recent set of charges.
