Police charge East Lampeter parents after doctors find abuse-related injuries on infant | Local News
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified Crouse’s attorney, Adam Szilagyi.
An East Lampeter Township couple is facing assault and child endangerment charges after doctors treating their 4-month-old daughter found abuse-related injuries, according to police.
Brittany Deann Crouse, 31, of Tompkins Lane, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of endangering the welfare of children and one count of simple assault. Police said she injured the infant on Sept. 12 and drove her to Lancaster General Hospital while drunk.
The child’s father, Cory Mitchell Kendig, 33, also of Tompkins Lane, is charged with endangering the welfare of children for allowing Crouse to take the child to the hospital while knowing she was drunk, according to charging documents.
Crouse and Kendig are free on unsecured bail; Crouse on $100,000 and Kendig on $50,000. Crouse’s attorney, Adam Szilagyi, declined to comment. Kendig’s attorney, Chris Sarno, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The couple is awaiting preliminary hearings, according to their criminal dockets.
On Sept. 14, Lancaster County Children and Youth responded to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Dauphin County, where the infant was hospitalized with bruising to her brain and eyes, according to charging documents. East Lampeter Township police attempted to speak with the child’s parents, but they refused to cooperate.
A family member later contacted police and said Crouse reached out on Sept. 12 to say something was wrong with the infant, according to an affidavit. Crouse told the family member she returned home, but Kendig refused to let her inside, forcing her to break a window to enter. Police later determined no windows were broken at the residence.
Police also interviewed one of the infant’s siblings, who said Crouse was intoxicated and upset on Sept. 12, according to charging documents. The child said that when Crouse drinks, she “hates us” and is a “nightmare.” Police said Crouse called Kendig more than 40 times while he was in a detached garage on the property.
Crouse recorded one of the phone calls while driving. During the call, Kendig is heard telling her she is drunk and warning her not to get a DUI while driving the infant to the hospital, according to the affidavit. The infant can be heard crying in the background, and Crouse is heard apologizing to the child.
Lancaster Safety Coalition video footage obtained by police showed Crouse driving around the city before arriving at LGH, appearing lost, according to charging documents. Police said she committed a traffic violation on the way to the hospital, indicating she was intoxicated.
Crouse also illegally recorded a conversation the following day with Kendig and a doctor at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, according to the affidavit. During the conversation, the doctor asked about any new or existing injuries to the infant. Crouse said the child had been sick but claimed she had been with her at all times and was not injured.
Police also found a 911 call Crouse had made in June where she reported being manic for several days and could “lose it” at any moment, according to charging documents. Police did not say if she was taken to a hospital.
Police said they believe Crouse injured the infant while drunk, drove around to calm down and then took the child to the hospital, according to charging documents.
Crouse is not charged with driving under the influence. Police did not immediately respond to a request for clarification as to why.
Kendig filed a custody case against Crouse in 2023. The case was dismissed in 2024 after neither party appeared for a scheduled hearing.
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