05-08-2025
Pittsburgh-area mom, grandma charged after 5 kids left without food or water in deplorable conditions, police say
Vandergrift police charged a mother and a grandmother with multiple counts of child abuse after they said five children were left in a home without food or water for days.
Darla Updegraff walked into a filthy home on July 28 after police called her to stop by her grandkids' house.
"Picture it being a hoarder house with a real bad, strong, disgusting animal smell," Updegraff said. "Not a condition where any child, whether it be my grandkids or it be any kid. I don't see how anybody can live like that."
Court records said her five grandchildren, ages 9 to 16, were living at the home on Emerson Street with their mom, 35-year-old Heidi Beer, but Beer had allegedly left them alone for days and didn't respond when the children tried to contact her.
Officers said feces and urine from dogs, rotten food, and garbage were all over the floors, with insects flying around as the area was dealing with temperatures in the 90s. In the criminal complaint, an officer said, "The odor was so strong my eyes were burning and nose began running. I kept gagging and then proceeded to vomit outside."
"They were hungry, they were dirty, they stunk. It's just disgusting," Updegraff said.
Police said the only food the children were getting was the free lunches at Kiski Area Upper Elementary School. As for water, they hauled it from the home of their maternal grandmother, 69-year-old Leslie Keller, about a mile away "using old cat litter containers," police said.
KDKA went to talk to Keller at her home on Tuesday to ask her about the child endangerment charges filed against her and her stepdaughter, Beer.
"The children were supposed to at least clean up after themselves, and they didn't even do that," Keller told KDKA.
She told KDKA she was not aware of the charges.
"Nobody has said anything to me about it. There have been no police here, nothing like that," Keller said.
Keller said Beer deserves to face the consequences, also alleging Beer abandoned her children, and said she told Beer what she was doing wasn't right.
KDKA's Lauren Linder asked Beer if being aware of the situation makes her culpable.
"No, it doesn't," Keller said.
According to court records, Beer's boyfriend also "beat [the kids] with belts, choked one of the boys," and even fired a pistol in the air. Officers also said the boyfriend asked Beer to abandon her kids and have a better life without them.
Updegraff just wishes Beer had reached out for help.
"I believe that she deserves everything she gets," Updegraff said. "I will do everything in my power to continue doing what I'm doing and keeping my grandkids safe."
The Vandergrift police chief told KDKA the investigation is ongoing, but it's possible more charges could be filed in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.
