Steinbronn back in custody for violating Fayette County protective order

WEST UNION - A Westgate man accused of locking five children in a bedroom for hours on end is back in custody for allegedly violating a protective order.

This time, the children's mother is joining him in custody.

According to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, deputies received information on Wednesday that 28-year-old Joshua R. Steinbronn was at 220 Olive St. in Westgate. Steinbronn had previously been ordered to not have any contact with the five children that lived there after he was arrested on Sept. 19 for five counts of child endangerment and five counts of false imprisonment.

During the Sept. 19 incident, deputies responded to the residence for a report of a man and woman yelling. While at the residence, deputies learned the five children - whose ages ranged from 3 to 9 years old - had been locked in a bedroom. Further investigation showed that Steinbronn had locked the children in the bedroom for several hours, denying them access to food or a restroom. Police said Steinbronn did that on several occasions in the past and kept the children locked up for more than 24 hours at a time.

Steinbronn was arrested on Sept. 19 and posted bail the following day.

The sheriff's office said on Thursday they did multiple welfare checks on the children following Steinbronn's arrest and release, responding to reports that Steinbronn had been at the residence. An investigation with the Department of Human Services found a hidden door leading under the house in a closet in the residence. Authorities discovered that Steinbronn had been hiding in the crawl space and had been in contact with the children multiple times.

Furthermore, the children's mother, 29-year-old Jonya Smith, was aware Steinbronn was there and violating the protective order.

Due to their actions, Steinbronn and Smith were both taken into custody. Steinbronn now faces multiple charges of violation of a protective order, a simple misdemeanor. Smith faces charges of five counts of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor; two counts of aiding and abetting the violation of a no-contact order, a simple misdemeanor; and driving while suspended, a simple misdemeanor. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, more charges are pending and the children have been removed from the home.

In addition to arresting Steinbronn and Smith, the sheriff's office also arrested Traeton D. Wilharm, 19, of Sumner, and Megan E. Owens, 21, of Oelwein, on warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia. Wilharm and Owens were previously arrested at the residence during the Sept. 19 incident and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.