Mom indicted for obstruction over daughter’s disappearance

E. Toledoan Steinfurth faces 3rd-degree felony

Angela Steinfurth, originally charged with child endangering, ap-pears in court to face an indictment of obstructing justice.

An East Toledo mother was indicted Monday by a Lucas County grand jury for obstructing justice in the investigation into her 18-month-old daughter’s disappearance.

Angela Steinfurth, 25, of 329 Valleywood Dr. had been charged in Toledo Municipal Court with child endangering for allegedly failing to get medical attention for her daughter, Elaina Steinfurth, after authorities said she knew the toddler was seriously injured. That charge was dismissed Monday in municipal court because of the grand jury proceedings.

Elaina, missing since June 2, has been the subject of intensive searches by authorities and volunteers. The indictment alleges that between June 1 and June 2, Ms. Steinfurth “did communicate false information.” The charge is a third-degree felony.

After an appearance in court last week, Mrs. Steinfurth’s stepfather, Richard Schiewe, and her estranged husband, Terry Steinfurth, Jr., got into a shouting match which nearly escalated into a physical altercation.

Monday, the families sat on separate sides of the courtroom: Mr. Schiewe behind the public defender, the Steinfurths behind the prosecutors. Despite a crowd outside the courtroom, only the families and a handful of others were initially permitted into the court. Mr. Schiewe was first led out of the court after Judge William Connelly called a recess. The Steinfurth family followed soon after.

Mr. Steinfurth declined to comment. Another relative of Elaina’s, Ginger Smith, said she was glad the case was going to common pleas court and hoped for more information to come to light.

Staff writer Jennifer Feehan contributed to this report.