WARREN Woman indicted in abuse of child

The defendant is expected to be arraigned on the charges later this week.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Trumbull County grand jury indicted a woman who was the caregiver for a 3-year-old girl who died of severe head trauma.
Ethel Wilbert-Bethea is charged with two counts of child endangering. The indictment was handed up Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Wilbert-Bethea, 40, is in county jail and is expected to be arraigned in the next few days, court officials said.
She has not been charged with 3-year-old Auntavia Atkins' death, but authorities say the investigation is continuing.
A preliminary hearing had been scheduled Tuesday in Central District Court, but since Wilbert-Bethea was indicted the hearing was canceled, court officials said.
The indictment says the child endangering charges stem from two burns that were found on the child's body. Police said the girl had a burn mark on her hand and one on her arm.
Detective Dave Morris stated in an affidavit for a search warrant that a witness saw Wilbert-Bethea kicking and punching Auntavia and hitting the girl with a spoon.
Dates of abuse
The witness, who is not identified, told police the beating took place at Wilbert-Bethea's North Bank Street home Aug. 27. Auntavia, who died Sept. 2, lived with Wilbert-Bethea.
The child's funeral was Monday.
The affidavit further notes that around the second week of August, the witness saw Wilbert-Bethea burn Auntavia's right hand by forcing the girl to hold her hand over a lighter.
The witness also observed Wilbert-Bethea pick up and shake Auntavia as well as other children in the house, the affidavit states.
Auntavia and two of her siblings were staying at the North Bank home while their mother, Angel Diggs, worked on getting a full-time job and a place to live.
All the children at Wilbert-Bethea's home have since been removed, police said, and are now in the care of Trumbull County Children Services.
Diggs has said that she thought it was in her children's best interest to place them in Wilbert-Bethea's home. Diggs said her family knew Wilbert-Bethea for more than seven years.
Police were called to Wilbert-Bethea's home about 10:30 a.m. Aug. 29. Officials found Auntavia in serious condition and took her to a local hospital.
From there she was taken to Cleveland Metro Health Center.