YORK COUNTY — West Manchester Township Police have charged a 25-year-old York woman with two counts of felony child endangerment after they say she allowed her two young children’s teeth to decay to the point where it became a criminal act, according to a criminal complaint affidavit.
Alexis Desiray Mong, of the 2300 block of Catherine Street, was charged on Jan. 14, according to the complaint.
Police began investigating after they received a Childline referral on Dec. 10, 2019, the complaint states.
The caller told police that one of Mong’s children had visibly black teeth that required oral surgery to correct. The caller stated Mong was aware that the child needed surgery since June of 2019, but had failed to follow through with appropriate care, the complaint alleges.
After contacting York County Children, Youth, and Families, police discovered there was a second referral regarding Mong’s other child, a four-year-old who also had “significant discoloration and damage” to their teeth. The child’s top four teeth had deteriorated to the point where they were barely present, and the remaining portions were completely black, police allege in the complaint.
Dental records viewed by police indicated one child had 10 cavities, requiring six fillings and four crowns, and the other child had nine cavities, requiring three fillings and six crowns. Mong had apparently signed paperwork dated April 27, 2018, indicating she had authorized treatment of the children’s dental problems, but had apparently never followed through.
York County CYF took the children for a dental consultation on Dec. 2, 2019, at which point it was discovered the first child now had 11 cavities, requiring nine crowns and two tooth extractions, and the second child had 14 cavities that needed a filling, eight crowns, and six extractions, police say.
Police interviewed Mong on Jan. 9. She allegedly told them she was aware of the children’s dental problems and had authorized their treatment, but never brought them back to the dentist to have the work completed. Mong told police both children had heart murmurs and required consent from their heart doctor to undergo the dental treatment, but she had never able to acquire that consent, according to the complaint.
Mong also told police that she needed to take the children to Lancaster for the completion of their dental treatment, but she was unable to find transportation to get there, the complaint states.
Police say Mong explained the children were bottle fed until they were two years old, and that she brushed their teeth twice a day.
Asked if the children ever complained about suffering pain from their dental issues, Mong allegedly told police one of the children had complained about mouth pain in September of 2019, according to the complaint.
