Austintown woman charged with 2 counts of child endangering

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Police charged a woman with two counts of child endangering after officers said they found her children unsupervised Tuesday.

A neighbor of Deanne Hartman, 42, of Austintown, told police Hartman’s 6-year-old daughter came to the neighbor’s house after she was locked out of her Maureen Drive residence after school. The neighbor said she made several attempts to contact Hartman between 3:45 and 5:15 p.m. before notifying police. She also told police she saw Hartman’s 2-year-old daughter through an open window.

Police knocked and yelled though the open window at Hartman’s residence and received no response, according to the report. They found the 2-year-old in the backyard.

One officer reported she was playing with a dead rat on the back porch near one of her toys. She also appeared to be using the dog door to enter and leave the residence.

Police said the girl was dirty and wearing only a shirt and soiled diaper.

An officer entered through the back door and found Hartman asleep and unresponsive when he yelled at her. She awoke when he checked her pulse.

Police said she appeared to be under the influence of an unidentified substance, moving slowly and struggling to follow directions.

Officers observed bottles of prescription pills on the floor and in an open safe where the kids could reach them. There also were several empty beer bottles on night stands, according to the report.

Mahoning County Children Services responded to care for Hartman’s daughters, and she was booked at Mahoning County jail on two counts of endangering children. She will appear for a hearing Monday in Mahoning County Area Court.