Mother, boyfriend charged with abusing 2 toddlers, selling cocaine, police say

RANKIN, Pa. — A local mother and her boyfriend are facing charges after police say they abused two toddlers to the point of hospitalization.

The criminal complaint said two toddlers, ages 2 and 3, were at UPMC Children’s Hospital on Nov. 5. They were brought in by their mother, Haley Province.

The complaint said the 2-year-old had several fractures in his leg, as well as a hand fracture, two arm fractures, a shoulder fracture and a rib fracture. He also had multiple cuts and bruises with well-defined edges, cell death throughout his brain and tested positive for cocaine.

The 3-year-old had fractures to both collarbones, a rib and an injury to his neck.

Doctors determined the injuries ranged in stages of healing from one week to around three months, the complaint said. Doctors also said they were inherent of child abuse and could not be caused accidentally.

Province told detectives she and her boyfriend, Bobby Bender, recently moved in together to a home in Rankin. She said a week prior, she went to the store and left her children in Bender’s care. She said when she got home, she noticed the 2-year-old would not stand up. The next day, he would not stay standing, would not put weight on his right leg and cried when Province would try to have him stand.

The complaint said Province denied seeing Bender hitting her children, but did say she noticed bruising on them when she left the children alone with him.

Province also said she used cocaine but had been clean for one or two months, the complaint said. Suspected cocaine residue was found in the house during a search warrant and evidence suggested Bender and Province were selling the drug.

Bender told police he watched the children every Friday for a few hours while Province went to the doctor. He also said he did cocaine but had been clean for around two weeks and did not have it around the children.

Province and Bender are both charged with six counts of aggravated assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of children and one count of criminal conspiracy.

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