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State officials visit Weinberg Food Bank during Hunger Action Month

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Police: Wanted man used middle name to identify himself

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; City police charged a woman alleging she left three children, ages 10, 7 and 3, unsupervised in her Lehigh Street apartment on Saturday.
				Mallory Leah Astengo, 30, allegedly made up three stories about who was watching the children while talking to an officer during a phone call.
				Astengo told the officer she was leaving a tavern in Scranton to pick up the children, according to court records.
				Police charged Astengo with three counts of endangering the welfare of children and a single count of false reports. The charges were filed with District Judge Rick Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
				According to the criminal complaint:
				Ronnie Jaquez called police at 12:31 a.m. Saturday reporting he was at Astengo&rsquo;s apartment and speaking with her via a Ring doorbell security system. Jaquez said he heard the children inside the apartment but knew Astengo was not inside due to background noise.
				An officer arrived at the apartment and also spoke with Astengo via the doorbell.
				Astengo told the officer the children were being watched by a family member, but then changed her story to say the children were with a friend in Plymouth.
				When the officer learned the Plymouth address Astengo provided did not exists, Astengo told the officer she was returning to her apartment from a tavern in Scranton, the complaint says.
				Police in the complaint said that when Astengo arrived at her apartment admitted she left the children unsupervised.
				A caseworker with Luzerne County Children & Youth Services told police a 10-year-old was not old enough to supervise the younger children.
				Police said the children were left in the care of Astengo&rsquo;s friend.

Mother charged with leaving three children unsupervised