A Lancaster County mother is behind bars after allegedly leaving her 17-month old daughter in the woods.
Angela Benedict, 34, is charged with endangering the welfare of children.
State police say Benedict was under the influence of drugs when she left her child in the woods for over three hours Monday night.
Authorities say a neighbor reported that Benedict did not have her child and didn't know her whereabouts.
The neighbor's 16-year-old son told troopers he saw Benedict sling the child over her shoulder and carry her into the woods muttering to herself, according to the criminal complaint.
Troopers began searching the wooded area just after 11 p.m., where they saw Benedict exiting the woods.
Benedict gave multiple possible locations for her daughter, including beside an oak tree and beside a limestone boulder, according to state police.
Due to the incoherent statements, troopers believed Benedict was under the influence of drugs.
At around 12:30 a.m., a firefighter searching the area heard the child crying and found her in about an inch of water in a drainage ditch under a heavy thicket, according to the criminal complaint.
State police say the child was naked, wearing only socks, and had visible cuts and bug bites.
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