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WARREN -- Single counts of felony child endangering were bound over from Trumbull County Central District Court in Cortland to a Trumbull County grand jury Oct. 21 against Ashley E. Streitferdt, 38, of Morrell Ray Road in Bristolville, and Charles T. Colwell, 46, of 6581 Ridge Road in Johnston Township.
The charges followed an investigation by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office of the death of a newborn baby Oct. 16.
If convicted, Streitferdt and Colwell could each get about eight years in prison. Streitferdt was booked into the Trumbull County jail Oct. 18 and released Oct. 21. Colwell was booked into the Trumbull County jail Oct. 17, and he was released Oct 23, according to jail records.
A Trumbull County Sheriff's Office report states that deputies responded at 10:48 p.m. Oct. 16 after being advised of a death and responded to St. Joseph Warren Hospital. Deputies arrested Colwell at that time, the report states.
But a more detailed sheriff's office report among the papers transferred from Central District Court to the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in the criminal cases against Colwell and Streitferdt provide more details.
That report states that the Mercy Health Police Department called 911 asking for deputies to respond to St. Joseph Warren Hospital because of a deceased infant being brought to the hospital emergency room.
The infant had been transported to the hospital by the Johnston Township Fire Department. The report states that the mother gave birth at a home in Johnston. It states that the Trumbull County 911 center reported to deputies that the ambulance went to a home on Ridge Road for a "one-day-old child who was not breathing."
The deputy spoke with a Johnston Township firefighter, who said when he arrived at the home on Ridge Road, a man was performing CPR on the infant. The firefighter took over chest compressions and the infant was taken to the hospital with “little to no signs of life.” The home where the infant was found is across the street Colwell's address.
The deputy went to the hospital, and Trumbull County Children Services was contacted. Streitferdt arrived at the hospital at 11:45 p.m. Oct. 16. Hospital personnel performed life-saving measures on the infant but were not able to save her, the report states.
The deputy learned from the coroner's office and others at the hospital that Streitferdt was the mother of the infant and that she lives across the street from where ambulance personnel were sent and found the neighbor performing CPR on the infant.
Streitferdt said she took the infant to that house because the woman who lived there is a nurse, the report states. The 911 call asking for an ambulance indicated that the infant was unresponsive, the report states.
The deputy tried to locate Streitferdt at the hospital after learning that she had arrived there, but he was told that after Streitferdt arrived and learned that the infant had died, she was allowed to go outside for "fresh air" and did not return.
Deputies went to the home where ambulance personnel located the neighbor performing CPR on the infant. The man who performed CPR said he and another man were watching football in the garage of his home when they heard Streitferdt yelling for help.
He opened the door, and Streitferdt said the infant was not breathing. He took the infant in the house and performed CPR while the other man called 911. He said Streitferdt told him the infant had not been breathing for about 20 minutes, the report states. Firefighters took over the infant's care after the man had performed CPR, he said.
Another ambulance was on its way to the home to provide medical care for Streitferdt. But seconds before the ambulance arrived, "Chuck" came over and told Streitferdt to "get back home," the report states. She then refused any medical attention, the report states. He said "Chuck" was the baby's father. “Chuck” was later "properly identified as Charles Colwell," the report states.
As the deputy was talking to the man who performed CPR on the infant, they heard a car drive by that appeared to be the one Colwell and Streitferdt drive. The deputy was told Streitferdt lives in an RV next to the garage where Colwell lives and the RV has no heat or electricity. The deputy also learned that Streitferdt also also has a 1-year-old child.
While still in the area investigating the matter, the vehicle containing Colwell and Streitferdt went past, and a deputy activated lights and siren, making a traffic stop after about a half a mile and took Colwell into custody. A 1-year-old child was also in the car with Streitferdt, who again refused medical attention, but ambulance personnel later did check on her. Colwell was taken to the Trumbull County jail.