CORTLAND 3-year-old girl dies; charges are pending

The child's caregiver was due in court today to face a child- endangering charge.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CORTLAND -- A 3-year-old girl whom police found severely injured in a Cortland home died early today in a Cleveland hospital, just hours before her caregiver pleaded innocent to a charge of child endangering.
Police Chief Gary Mink said today he did not know the cause of death of Auntavia Atkins.
"I sent Detective Dave Morris to Cleveland to attend the autopsy, so we hope to learn more later today," Mink said. The girl had head injuries.
Police and firefighters were called to the North Bank home around 10:30 a.m. Friday.
They took the badly injured little girl to a local hospital. She was taken from there by helicopter to Cleveland Metro Health Center, where she was on life support until her death, police said.
Her caregiver, Ethel Wilbert-Bethea, 40, of 260 N. Bank St., was arraigned this morning in Trumbull County Central District Court here on a child-endangering charge stemming from a burn the girl suffered about two weeks ago, police said.
The burn was discovered Friday when the girl was taken from the home.
Authorities said additional charges are pending now because the girl has died.
The girl's mother, Angel Diggs, could not be reached.
Other children in Wilbert-Bethea's home were removed by Trumbull County Children Services, police said.
Relatives had placed the 3-year-old in Wilbert-Bethea's care, authorities said.
Wilbert-Bethea is being held on $1 million bond.