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Group still seeking donations to initiate stormwater fee legal challenge

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Wilkes-Barre man sentenced for setting Laflin fire

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A grandmother, her son and a woman charged with abusing a 9-year-old girl who police say was forced to wear urine soaked clothing and eat food off a floor waived their rights to preliminary hearings in Luzerne County Central Court on Tuesday.</p><p>Joann Ortmann, 60, Michael Thomas Law, 29, and Cydney Magana, 26, were arrested last month after a four-month investigation by police in Plymouth and Duryea.</p><p>Investigators alleged Ortmann abused the girl for months, and that Law and Magana failed to stop her or seek medical attention for the child who suffered a large laceration on her head when struck by a coffee cup.</p><p>Law is the father of the girl, Magana is a stepmother and Ortmann is Law&#8217;s mother.</p><p>Duryea police alleged Ortmann used plastic ties to tie the girl, then 7, inside a playpen and use a blanket to cover the playpen when they lived in a house trailer on Ferguson Street in 2017.</p><p>Duryea police said Law and Magana were aware Ortmann had tied the girl inside the playpen and failed to remove the girl, keeping her secured in the playpen, court records say.</p><p>After their trailer was condemned by Duryea officials due to unsanitary conditions and several code violations, the trio moved to a residence in the 200 block of West Shawnee Avenue in Plymouth.</p><p>Court records say Ortmann resented the girl because she &#8220;snitched&#8221; on them about their living conditions in Duryea.</p><p>While living in Plymouth, the girl allegedly told investigators Ortmann smashed a cup over her head and laughed, threw her against a wall and struck her with a baseball bag.</p><p>Police said Law claimed Ortmann called the girl &#8220;piss pants&#8221; and &#8220;piss hands,&#8221; told the child she hated her, and that Ortmann would keep the girl in dirty diapers and not let anyone change the girl after the child soiled herself, court records say.</p><p>Law also claimed Ortmann threw soiled diapers at the girl and would not allow the girl to eat with the family, instead throwing food at the girl making her eat off the floor.</p><p>Ortmann waived two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and one count each of false imprisonment, simple assault and criminal conspiracy to county court.</p><p>Law waived two counts of endangering the welfare of children to county court, and Magana waived two counts of endangering the welfare of children and a single count of false imprisonment to county court.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Joann-Marie-Ortmann-04112019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ortmann </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Joann-Marie-Ortmann-04112019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Ortmann </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Michael-Law-04112019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Law </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Michael-Law-04112019.jpg</photo1><caption1>Law </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Cydney-Magana-04112019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Magana </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Cydney-Magana-04112019.jpg</photo2><caption2>Magana </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Grandmother, parents waive hearing on child abuse charges