SENIOR CITIZENS

Books remember loved ones

First Posted: 5/8/2014 LEHIGHTON, Pa. (AP) &#8212; A northeastern Pennsylvania woman is behind bars after police said she beat her child with a baseball bat because of a clogged toilet.
Police say Christine Mertz from Mahoning Township hit the 15-year-old child twice on the right side with a baseball bat and had also twice bitten and punched the juvenile.
The child&#8217;s age and gender have not been released. Police said the child&#8217;s sibling witnessed the April 27 assault and said it was because of a backed-up toilet.
Mertz is charged with child endangerment, simple assault and harassment. She is currently in the Carbon County prison on unrelated charges.
A preliminary hearing is set for May 21. It couldn&#8217;t be determined if she had an attorney.

Police: Pa. woman beat child over clogged toilet