69°
Naomi Shayanna Wenger is currently serving five years probation as part of a negotiated plea deal after calling in threats to Martic Elementary School in the Penn Manor School District around 2:19 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23.
Wenger is a 21-year-old mom with a 2-year-old daughter according to public records and social media posts.
She and her 18-year-old friend, Elena Katerine Zaharchuk, made a video of a 2-year-old child being given a vape pen, putting it in her mouth, "taking a hit," coughing, and having the smoke puff out of her mouth, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.
Zaharchuk took the vape away from the toddler and posted the video on the social media platform Snapchat, she later told the police as stated in the affidavit of probable cause.
A local man saw the video and contacted his area police, who recognized the buildings in the background of the video and reached out to the Strasburg Borough Police Department.
Officer Bradley Klunk contacted the man and he emailed the SBPD the video titled by Zaharchak as "Kids starting young" to the department at 8:57 p.m. on Aug. 25, as detailed in the affidavit.
After watching the submitted video, Officer Klunk recognized the area as the first block of West Main Street and went to the area to ask the young women some questions at 9:27 p.m., according to the criminal complaint.
Zaharchuk answered the door and admitted to filming and posting the video, the police said.
The Wenger and Zaharchuk both told Klunk they "did not know the child knew how to use it and when she hit it, they took it away."
The police did not confirm if Wenger's daughter was the toddler in the video and her whereabouts were not shared.
Zaharchuk and Wenger were both arrested at the scene and charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child when a parent or guardian commits an offense and a misdemeanor for the corruption of a minor, the police said in a release on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Zaharchuk was released of $25,000 in surety bonds on Aug. 29, according to her court docket.
Wenger remains in the Lancaster County Prison after failing to post $50,000 in bail, her latest court docket shows.
Their joint preliminary hearing has been set before Magisterial District Judge William E. Benner Jr. at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 7, court records show.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Reading and receive free news updates.
