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Background: News footage of the apartment building in Uniontown, Pa., where Vira Zabudko allegedly tried to drown two children and their mother (WPXI). Inset: Vira Zabudko (Fayette County Sheriff”s Office).
In a shocking incident in Pennsylvania, a mother entrusted her roommate with the care of her two young children, only for the roommate to allegedly attempt to harm one of them by drowning.
Vira Zabudko, 40, was released on bail after facing charges on March 27, including aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, and reckless endangerment. As reported by WPXI, a local NBC affiliate, the Uniontown Police Department revealed that Zabudko was asked by the children’s mother to supervise her kids while she attended to an errand. Upon returning, the mother was horrified to find Zabudko allegedly trying to push her 5-year-old child out of a third-floor window.
Details from a criminal complaint, as shared by WTAE, a local ABC station, indicate that the mother requested Zabudko to look after her 5- and 11-year-old sons as she moved some belongings. Upon her return, she discovered Zabudko had barricaded the door, preventing her from entering. Once inside, she reportedly witnessed Zabudko attempting to force her younger son out through a window screen.
Police reported that a confrontation broke out, during which Zabudko instructed the 5-year-old to enter the shower “to cleanse him of sins.” The complaint further alleges that Zabudko attempted to force the mother into the shower, submerging both her and her son’s heads underwater.
The mother managed to escape with her children. When authorities arrived, they found the mother and her sons drenched from the ordeal.
WPXI spoke to Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele, who said the children did not have any visible injuries, but the investigation could yield additional charges against Zabudko.
Zabudko was charged with aggravated assault, two counts of unlawful restraint, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, and simple assault. She was booked into the Fayette County Jail and posted bond. She was ordered not to have contact with the woman or her sons upon release. Her next court date is scheduled for April 9.