UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A western Pennsylvania woman accused of malnourishing her baby while following a vegan diet has been ordered to stand trial on a child endangerment charge.
Authorities in Fayette County said in October that 33-year-old Elizabeth Hawk of Confluence was feeding her 11-month-old a vegan diet of nuts and berries.
A Child and Youth Services worker testified Tuesday that the child had a severe untreated rash and couldn’t move. Family members said the child couldn’t crawl and hadn’t developed teeth.
Defense attorney David Kaiser sought dismissal of the charge, saying it wasn’t a criminal case. He said “Just because the baby has a rash . it doesn’t mean that Mom neglected the child.”
Hawk was taken to Fayette County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail pending formal arraignment Feb. 16.
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