New Hampshire

Mom Charged After Kids Found Surrounded by 100+ Needles, Drug Paraphernalia

Tiffany Albert, 25, was arrested on Monday by police in Manchester, New Hampshire

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A New Hampshire mother is facing child endangerment charges after her two young children were found in a room filled with over 100 needles, many of them uncapped, last month.

Tiffany Albert, 25, was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of reckless conduct and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.

Her arrest came following an investigation into a Feb. 10 incident where police were called to an apartment on West Street in Manchester for a report of a child needing medical attention.

When they arrived, no one answered the door, but officers could hear a child inside. Due to concern for the child's well-being, police breached the door and found a man sitting on a bed with two young children.

The man, later identified as 33-year-old Raymond Punturieri, had made the call, police said, but was incoherent and unable to give the responding officers any information.

In the bedroom where the children were found, police said they located more than 100 needles, many of them uncapped. The needles were scattered on the nightstand and floor, and a few were even on the bed where the children were laying. Police also located other drug paraphernalia in the room.

The children were removed from the apartment and taken to a local hospital.

Police said they later made contact with Albert, the children's mother. She had reportedly left the apartment approximately six hours before police arrived.

Punturieri is also facing numerous charges in connection with the incident, including reckless conduct, endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, criminal threatening and resisting arrest.

Police have not disclosed his relationship to the two children.

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