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Charges filed in death of baby

LISBON — A Lisbon area woman faces felony charges after alleged actions surrounding the death of her infant shortly after its birth in the summer of 2020.

Rebecca D. Young, 23, Lusk Lock Road, Lisbon, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; child endangering, a third-degree felony; gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony; and two counts of tampering with evidence, each third-degree felonies.

Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito J. Abruzzino said the secret indictment by the January Common Pleas Court grand jury came after an investigation started by the county sheriff’s office following the death of the infant in July of 2020.

The charges accuse Young of creating a substantial risk that caused the death of the infant, born on July 23, 2020, then spending July 24 and July 25 attempting to cover up the evidence and conceal the infant’s death.

According to Sheriff Brian McLaughlin, deputies responded to the house on Lusk Lock Road after receiving a call late on July 24, 2020, from Boardman police. Young reportedly had confided in a friend, who became concerned about what she heard and called Boardman police about it.

When deputies arrived they found Young had been covering up what happened after her baby was born at home. The deceased infant was believed to be about a day old and McLaughlin said deputies were led to believe no one knew Young was pregnant.

Children services and the medical examiner were called to the home after deputies arrived shortly after midnight on July 25. McLaughlin credited Detective Sgt. Mike Helman, who investigated the case on behalf of the sheriff’s office after the initial call.

“Protection of children and the prosecution of those responsible for harming children is of paramount importance to this office,” Abruzzino said after the indictment was served on Thursday. “We will prosecute this matter zealously on behalf of the child victim.”

Abruzzino credited the sheriff’s office, the county coroner’s office, children services and an investigator from the prosecutor’s office for investigating the case resulting in charges ultimately being filed.

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