TRUMBULL COUNTY Mother found innocent of child endangering

Prosecutors will soon decide if they should refile criminal charges.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A jury in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court found a Girard woman innocent of two counts of child endangering and couldn't reach a decision on five other counts.
The jury, which deliberated more than 10 hours over three days, reached the verdicts in Vivian Dunkel's case Monday. She had faced up to 70 years in prison.
"We are very happy," said Atty. Anthony Meranto of Youngstown. "In these type of cases a jury is always looking to convict. I believe in this particular case, the jury had too much doubt."
Tom Wrenn, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor assigned to the case, said the prosecutor's office hasn't decided whether the five charges will be refiled.
Dunkel, 27, who had maintained her innocence, testified during the trial, which began June 7 in the courtroom of Judge Peter Kontos of common pleas court.
Lawyer's argument
Meranto told jurors during the trial that his client was charged because she is dating Richard Harris. Harris' wife died during a house fire in November 2000, Meranto said. Girard police are treating the death of Tammie L. Harris, 33, as a homicide, but no arrests have been made.
Meranto had told jurors that he believed Girard police believed his client knew something about the murder.
The defense attorney noted that his client had worked at a child-care center for 18 months without a complaint.
Wrenn said Dunkel neglected and abused her two children.
An employee of the Trumbull County Children Services Board testified that Dunkel's 3-year-old girl had abrasions on her body and was suffering from hair loss.
The boy, who was 6, testified that he was locked in the closet for several hours while his mother went to Six Flags Amusement Park in Aurora.
sinkovich@vindy.com