A Lehighton woman who was charged with leaving her then 3-year-old daughter outside their home unattended for over 45 minutes entered a guilty plea to a summary offense of disorderly conduct with a more serious charge dropped.

Monique Terese Fethiere, 27, was charged by Mahoning Township police for an incident on Aug. 22, 2014, at 723 N. First St. Police were called to the area by a neighbor who said the young girl was crying outside the home for about 45 minutes.Judge Steven R. Serfass questioned the plea bargain in which a charge of endangering the welfare of a child, was dropped. Defense Attorney Paul Levy told the court that it was determined through an investigation that Fethiere left her daughter in the care of her grandmother and she was the one who was responsible for what occurred. Serfass wondered why the grandmother, whose name was not released, has not been charged. He added, however, that decision is up to the district attorney. He further noted that the arresting officer approved the agreement.When police officer Tyler Meek arrived at the scene, he entered the home to find Fethiere. The officer responded at 12:10 p.m. and spoke with the child, who was visibly upset. She told the officer her mother, Fethiere, was upstairs. Meek knocked on the front door, which opened. The little girl ran upstairs.Meek yelled Fethiere's name several times, but she didn't answer. He announced he was from the police department, but still didn't get a response. He walked to the stairs and again loudly called Fethiere by name and that he was a police officer.Because Meek didn't know where the child went, and because he was concerned, he, too, went up the stairs. Pausing at the third or fourth step from the top, he again loudly announced his presence. Still, no one answered.But Meek could hear someone moving around, and a man speaking softly.From about 12:30 p.m. until about 12:45 p.m., he tried but was unable to get anyone to respond. At 12:45 p.m., township Chief Audie Mertz arrived, and Meek, Mertz and Lehighton patrolman Matt Arner began to search the upstairs to make sure the little girl was all right.The first bedroom door had been blocked by a heavy object, but Meek was able to push it open.Inside, he found a woman named Vanessa Fethiere and Daniel Hodges lying in bed. Meek could smell marijuana.While police checked the other rooms, Monique Fethiere, with her child, came down from the attic. Fethiere appeared to have been sleeping and asked what was going on.Meek also spoke with the neighbor who had called police. The neighbor told him the child left alone outside was an ongoing situation, and she was worried because the house is close to busy Route 209.Police charged Hodges, 22, of Allentown, with possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.Serfass accepted the plea and imposed a fine of $300 and court costs of about $1,000.