Staff photo / R. Michael Semple Defendant Patricia Ann Zarlingo, of Youngstown, looks to her attorney, Anthony Meranto, as charges are read during her arraignment Friday before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Sean O’Brien. Zarlingo is facing death penalty level charges in the arson that killed 16-year-old Chassidy Broadstone on Jan. 19 in Warren. Zarlingo was indicted Thursday on eight charges, including aggravated murder.

WARREN — The Youngstown woman who faces capital murder charges in the Jan. 19 arson that killed a 16-year-old Warren G. Harding High School student was arraigned Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

The eight counts were read by Judge Sean O’Brien to Patricia Ann Zarlingo, 27, of Manchester Avenue, who was represented by attorneys Thomas Zena and Anthony Meranto. She pleaded not guilty.

O’Brien appointed the two Mahoning County attorneys to the case because they have capital case credentials.

Zarlingo was indicted Thursday in a special grand jury report with two counts of aggravated murder with specification of aggravating circumstances that carry the death penalty as a possible sentence, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, first-degree aggravated arson, second-degree aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence.

The aggravating circumstances –other crimes were being committed while the murder was taking place and the offenses were committed with prior calculation and design — bring the case to a death penalty level, prosecutors say.

O’Brien continued the no-bond ruling that he made for Zarlingo at last week’s first appearance.

The fire killed Chassidy Broadstone, 16, whose body was found in a second-floor bathroom. Broadstone’s two siblings managed to escape the fire by going through a window onto the roof of the porch and then jumping off. Broadstone’s mother, who declined to comment, was in the courtroom for Friday’s arraignment as were two other relatives. The courtroom had a heavy security presence, with sheriff deputies and detectives in attendance.

Zarlingo and co-defendants Brendan Michael Daviduk, 28, and Zackary Gurd, 23, also of Youngstown, were charged with the crime after an extensive investigation led by Warren police detectives.

Daviduk, who is also being held in the Trumbull County jail, also appeared in O’Brien’s court Friday — but attorney Rhys Brendan Cartwright-Jones, on behalf of Daviduk, moved to continue the arraignment hearing until Monday because the defendant needed to hire an attorney with capital case credentials.

O’Brien moved Daviduk’s arraignment to 11 a.m. Monday in his court.

The third defendant, Gurd, is awaiting a waiver of extradition hearing set for Feb. 23 in a Virginia court. According to assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker, if Gurd waives his right to the extradition hearing, he could be brought back to Ohio for arraignment within 10 days of that Feb. 23 hearing. If he doesn’t waive his right, Becker said he would need the governor of Ohio to issue a warrant proving that Gurd is the man wanted for the crimes.

“We have nothing but time,” Becker said after Friday’s court hearing.

FIRE AFTERMATH

Daviduk and Zarlingo were arrested Feb. 1 at their home on the West Side of Youngstown when police noted a U-Haul van in the driveway. Investigators developed information that Gurd fled the Mahoning Valley area on a Greyhound bus and was heading south, potentially toward Florida. U.S. Marshals tracked Gurd to getting off a bus in Richmond, Va., Feb. 2 and tracked him to Chester, Va., where he was arrested.

Detectives had placed Gurd at the scene of the fatal fire on Nevada Avenue NW in Warren by cellphone tracking and video cameras, according to an affidavit written by detective Michael Altiere.

Police released two photos taken from video at the fire scene — one of a suspect and another of the suspicious SUV that was at the scene. Detectives later identified through information given by witnesses that the SUV belonged to Zarlingo. Zarlingo and Daviduk have been romantically involved and a court record had showed them to be married.

According to police detectives, it is believed that Gurd started the fire after he was caught on video carrying a gas can around the garage area of the Nevada home.

Video evidence also shows two people carrying items, a television and a video game system, out of the Nevada home before the fire started.

Fire marshals stated the fire started somewhere on the first floor and there were traces of gasoline found at the origin site.

There were some children in common with the defendants and Chassidy’s family and it is believed that there was an ongoing feud regarding child support between the parents, police have said.

gvogrin@tribtoday.com