A Warren woman will spend six months in county prison on a child endangerment charge stemming from the drowning death of her two-year-old child last summer.

Nichol V. Barrett, 26, Warren, was sentenced on a single count of endangering the welfare of children by President Judge Maureen Skerda on Friday.

The incident took place in August and started when an area resident called 911 to report “finding two small children and a dog in Hatch Run Creek, a short distance from the Conewango River,” police allege in the affidavit of probable cause. The resident reported that the children — a 5-year-old girl and 4-year-old male — told her that their “mother is gone” and that their mother “went away.”

Shortly thereafter, police say a call was forwarded to state police from Nichol Barrett.

“During this phone call,” police allege, Barrett “reported finding her daughter floating face down in Hatch Run

Creek.”

Skerda indicated a long period of incarceration was unlikely to change the circumstances but that some period of time was appropriate.

“(The) incident came from a long period of time where there was intervention,” Skerda added, noting that Children and Youth Services had been to the home many times.

See Saturday’s Times Observer for a full story.