Judge denies early release to Amanda Hall after injuring toddler

Staff report

WARREN

Amanda Hall, a 32-year-old woman convicted of child endangering for injuring a 19-month-old girl she was baby-sitting, has been denied early release.

Judge John M. Stuard gave his decision from the bench in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on Thursday after having a short hearing that included statements from a police detective, a case worker and the victim’s mother.

Hall has served one year of a three-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors said the girl, now 4 years old, suffered burns to her hand and lower forearm as a result of having her arm held under scalding water in a bathtub Oct. 14, 2010.

Hall lived on Northfield Avenue Northwest at the time, and the girl lived across the street.

The girl, Teiarra Houseman, stayed at Hall’s house because Teiarra’s mother, Belinda Houseman, was sick that day. Belinda Houseman and Hall agreed that Hall would baby-sit the girl through the night to prevent her from getting her mother’s illness.

LuWayne Annos, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, read a statement from Belinda Houseman in which she said she wanted Hall to serve the remainder of her sentence.

“I feel her just serving one of her three years is not sufficient to the eight years she should have got,” she said.

“Three years away from the real world may make her realize you cannot do what you want to a child.”