Mother of 4-year-old boy charged in his death

Mother of 4-year-old boy charged in his death

WARREN

In a day full of events relating to the June 15 death of 4-year-old Nicholas Partin of Bazetta Township, the boy’s mother, Jennifer Light, was taken into custody at the Trumbull County Courthouse and charged in the death.

Light, 33, pleaded innocent to involuntary manslaughter, permitting child abuse, endangering children and four counts of obstructing justice.

Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court set her bond at $250,000, and she was led away by deputies to the Trumbull County jail.

Light had come to the courthouse to receive payment of $6 she was owed for her testimony to a Trumbull County grand jury regarding her son’s death.

But she had been secretly indicted earlier, and a warrant had been issued for her arrest, so she was taken into custody by deputies.

She had arrived at the courthouse after her boyfriend, Scott H. Walker, 33, had been arraigned in Judge Logan’s courtroom on a murder charge.

Walker is accused of hitting the boy in the stomach June 14, an assault that Light told investigators she had witnessed.

Diane Barber, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said she could not discuss what Light did to produce the criminal charges except to point to the language of the indictment, which says Light failed her duty of care, protection or support of the boy.

The permitting child abuse charge says Light permitted the child to be abused, to be tortured, to be administered corporal punishment or other physical disciplinary measure.

Barber would not say whether Light’s charges relate to any physical abuse prior to the blow to the abdomen that killed him.

A victim’s flag raising is scheduled for 1 p.m.at the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office to remember the boy.