Second Arrest Made For February Incident Where Woman Pushed Her Grandchildren Into Oswego River

by Contributor | March 10, 2023 3:02 pm

FULTON – On 02/20/23, the City of Fulton Police arrested 46 year old Heather M. Smith of Fulton for pushing her 5 and 3 year old grandchildren into the icy Oswego River.  As the investigation progressed, it became evident that the mother of the children, Crystina L. Mintonye, had also endangered their welfare.  The mother did so by allowing Smith to take the children that day, even though she had knowledge of Smith’s history of mental health and substance abuse issues. The Fulton Police worked in conjunction with Oswego County Child Protective Services and continued investigating the family.  During the subsequent investigation, it was learned that Crystina and her husband, Richard C. Mintonye Jr., had a two month old child together.  The child weighed approximately 6 pounds, and was not gaining weight appropriately.  During interviews with the couple, they admitted they were missing feedings of the child.  This led to the child being hospitalized for several days, where after receiving proper nutrition from hospital staff, they gained weight steadily.  On 03/10/23, the couple were arrested.  They are identified as:

          Crystina L. Mintonye, 23 years old, of Fulton

          Charges:  2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Class A Misdemeanor

                          (for the incident in February)

                            1 count of Assault in the Third Degree – Class A Misdemeanor

                            1 count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Class A Misdemeanor

                            (for the incident with the 2-month-old)

           Richard C. Mintonye Jr., 19 years old, of Fulton   

                           1 count of Assault in the Third Degree – Class A Misdemeanor

                           1 count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Class A Misdemeanor                                                                                

       Crystina and Richard Mintonye are being held pending arraignment in Fulton City Court.

Sergeant Lucas H. Hollenbeck

City of Fulton Police Department

Criminal Investigations Division         

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/second-arrest-made-for-february-incident-where-woman-pushed-her-grandchildren-into-oswego-river/

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