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Salem woman faces endangering charges in death of infant
SALEM
Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron said Wednesday that a woman is charged with endangering children in connection with the death of her child.
Miranda Todd, 23, was taken into custody Tuesday evening and was taken to the county jail.
David Talbert, a Salem Police Department detective, filed the charge.
Talbert said the charge was filed because there were strong indications “that she was going to leave the state.”
He said she will be arraigned and expects Todd will face “a significant bond.”
Authorities had said Todd had been living on North Ellsworth Avenue in Salem. Her arrest listed an address on McCracken Road in Salem Township.
Herron is conducting a session of the county grand jury, but law-enforcement officials indicated Todd’s case is not included.
Talbert said he expected the case will be presented to the next grand jury. That grand jury likely will meet in January.
Herron said he expects additional charges will be filed.
Columbiana County Coroner Dr. William A. Graham Jr. previously declared the death of Derek A. Dennison a homicide. Dr. Graham’s autopsy report on the 7-month-old boy indicated a pattern of abuse.
The boy was pronounced dead at Salem Community Hospital about 12:38 a.m. July 23.
Dr. Graham and Atty. Tim McNicol, an assistant county prosecutor who handles child-abuse cases, agreed previously that there were no injuries that could have occurred naturally to a child that age.
McNicol said Todd is to be arraigned this morning in Columbiana County Municipal Court.