Pittsburgh-area mom accused of locking two children outside, leaving toddler unattended

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- A New Kensington mom is facing charges after police said they found her sleeping while two of her children were locked outside and a third was left unattended inside with pots of boiling water on the stove. 

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a home on Haser Drive on the afternoon of Nov. 21 because a 9-year-old and 6-year-old were locked out of their house. Officers said it was 43 degrees out, windy and raining. When officers got there, they found the father of one of the children waiting for police and both children locked out and "soaking wet."  

Officers said they tried to get inside but eventually had to call an employee of Westmoreland County Housing Authority to let them in. 

Inside the home, police said they found a 2-year-old downstairs unattended and completely naked while pots of boiling water were on the stove. Officers said they found the mother, Sierra Shannon, upstairs sleeping. 

In the criminal complaint, police wrote that Shannon woke up and went "back and forth from being calm and unreasonable, to screaming and still unreasonable." Her speech was slurred and she smelled like alcohol, police said.

While arguing with the father, police said Shannon almost accidentally let the dog out the front door, and when an officer grabbed it, she screamed at police, saying it was her dog and she could let it run away if she wanted. She was told letting her dog run away was illegal and she would be cited, then police said she opened the front door and let the dog out anyways. The father had to get it and bring it back inside, and the criminal complaint said Shannon started screaming, picking up items and throwing them at the door.  

Officers told Shannon she was under arrest and took her into custody after she ran to the couch and told police she'd fight them. While she was being escorted to the car, police said she spit on an officer's face. 

When she was in the cruiser, police said she slipped out of one of the sides of the handcuffs and used it to hit the window separating the front and back of the car, and she kicked the doors so hard they separated from the frame. While she was in the car, the criminal complaint said Shannon threatened to kill an officer and the officer's family. 

She consented to a breath test, which registered a .166 blood alcohol content. 

She's facing a slew of charges, including endangering the welfare of children, assault of a law enforcement officer, terroristic threats, resisting arrest and institutional vandalism.