An Austintown woman has changed her previous plea of not guilty in a child endangerment case to guilty. Sierra Yakuvik allegedly abused her child and created substantial risk for her health and safety.

In May of 2022, Yakuvik took her 2-year-old daughter to UPMC Hospital in Pittsburgh. Police reports state that at the hospital, doctors found fractures and bruises from previous injuries that the child was still healing from.

The injuries listed on the police report include right and left tibia fractures, left radius fracture, left femur fracture, right eyelid bruising, forehead bruising, bruising to the left side of the eye, upper and lower back bruising, lower leg bruising bruises to the inner and outer thigh, and right elbow bruise.

Yakuvik was facing two counts of child endangerment - one of which was dropped at the plea hearing. 

The 21-year-old could face up to three years in prison. The prosecution is recommending 6 months of local jail time and the judge is also considering ordering Yakuvik to a treatment program.

“There are some mental health issues that you could benefit from treatment and counseling and further programming and there are other programs that they offer that I believe might benefit you but I want to hear an argument on that before I decide,” Judge D’Apolito said in court. 

Yakivick said in court that she is not in contact with her children but is working with a case worker to arrange supervised visits.