A mom in Pennsylvania experienced a terrifying situation when she asked her roommate to watch her two young children, only for the roommate to allegedly try pushing one out the window.
Vira Zabudko is also accused of trying to drown both the mother and child, leading to her arrest on Friday, March 27, for aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and recklessly endangering another person. She has since been released on bond.
The Uniontown Police Department said that Zabudko, 40, was asked to watch her roommate’s 5-year-old son and 11-year-old son while the mother ran an errand, according to WPXI. When the mom returned back to the apartment, she allegedly found Zabudko attempting to force her 5-year-old out of a third-story window through a screen.
Police said that Zabudko and the mother got into a fight before Zabudko told the 5-year-old to get in the shower “to wash the sins out because he is dirty,” according to a criminal complaint viewed by WTAE.
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Zabudko then allegedly tried forcing the mom into the shower with the 5-year-old and she dunked both their heads underwater in the bathtub in an apparent attempt to drown them.
The mother managed to escape from Zabudko with both her sons. They then found police to report the incident to, and authorities noted that the mom and her two sons were all soaking wet.
Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele spoke to WPXI about the incident and said that the children did not have any visible injuries when they were found.
However, Aubele added that Zabudko might face additional charges as the investigation into the alleged assault continues. “It goes without saying that having a 5-year-old child believe that he’s going to be thrown out a window has its own emotional scars that he’ll carry. So, we keep that in mind when we prosecute this case,” he said.
“We are very happy that mom was in the area and was able to become involved and protect the children,” Aubele added of the incident.
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After Zabudko was arrested, she was booked into the Fayette County Jail and posted bond. In exchange for being released, Zabudko has been ordered to not have any contact with the woman or her sons.
Zabudko is next scheduled to appear in court on April 9 amid the charges.
It is not currently clear if Zabudko has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Uniontown Police Department did not immediately respond to NewsPlop’s request for comment regarding the case.