A Coaldale woman and the father of her four young children have both been charged with endangering the welfare of children after allegedly leaving the children - ranging in age from 7 to 1 - alone while she visited her new boyfriend.

Laura G. DeMaio, 27, and Brian Hay, 28, both of 272 Sixth St., face the charge. According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Officer Jeremy P. Talanca, he responded to a report of a man with a gun at DeMaio's address at 1 a.m. July 15.Upon arrival, Talanca arrested Hay, who said he wanted to end his own life. Hay was standing on the front porch, drinking a beer when Talanca arrived.Hay's girlfriend, DeMaio, said Hay had been drinking, and had held a .45 caliber handgun to his head several times and made threats to kill himself. Police confiscated the gun.Hay was taken to the police station, where he told Talanca that DeMaio had left the house to visit her new boyfriend, leaving her and Hay's four young children home alone for about two hours.Hay told Talanca that at about 9 p.m., DeMaio was walking away from the house when he got into his vehicle and left the house, too. When he returned two hours later, the children were alone.Talanca questioned DeMaio about the events, and she said she left first, then Hay. She admitted that she did not return to the house because she assumed Hay would be back soon. DeMaio told Talanca she went to a friend's house to talk about her relationship problems.