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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Altoona woman who was taken into custody alongside an East Freedom couple and accused of child endangerment is seeking to have her case dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Gillian Bem, 19, is facing five felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and five misdemeanor counts each of recklessly endangering another person and cruelty to animals. She remains free on 10% of $75,000 bail.
Bem was arrested in July 2025 with her sister, Zoe Elise Zungali, and brother-in-law, Dominic Andrew Zungali, both 32.
The trio's charges stem from the report of a lost child in late August 2025. That investigation led police to the Zungali home on the 200 block of Fall View Road in East Freedom.
Officers found deplorable conditions within the home, including drywall ripped from the walls, exposed electrical wiring, a strong odor of urine, a baby gate and household items barricading a doorway and several children in "cages" made from overturned cribs. The children were reportedly being held in unclean conditions, in their own waste.
The case involves the couple's five children ranging in age from 2 years old to 7 years old, who all displayed signs of "profound" neglect and abuse. All of the children wore diapers and were cognitively underdeveloped, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Two cats, a rabbit and a dog were also found lying in their own waste without food or water in the residence and were subsequently removed by the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society.
In documents filed at the Blair County Courthouse, Bem's defense attorney William Wigman made a motion to dismiss her 15 charges. Wigman wrote that "each individual criminal charge against (Bem) lacks legal sufficiency based upon the evidence provided in discovery."
Bem "merely visited the home" and was never inside without the presence of one of the Zungalis, Wigman wrote. He argued that any assistance Bem gave the Zungalis in caring for their children "were at the direction and supervision" of the couple.
In regards to the animal cruelty charges, Wigman wrote that Bem did not "own any of the animals" and that they belonged to the Zungalis.
Wigman also made a motion to sever Bem's case from that of the Zungalis, arguing Bem would be "prejudiced" if they were tried together. Wigman wrote that evidence turned over in discovery only implicated the Zungalis as being responsible for the children's and animal's condition.
The motions filed by Wigman on Bem's behalf also included a motion to appoint an expert to evaluate Bem's emotional and psychological health. Wigman wrote that Bem would be unable to pay for the evaluation or subsequent testimony from a licensed professional and asked the court to appoint one for the defense.
"There are emotional or psychological issues which may impact her defense in terms of mitigating her guilt in this case or the potential sentence in the event of a conviction at trial," Wigman wrote.
Judge Louis C. Schmitt is scheduled to hear arguments during a hearing about 9:30 a.m. in courtroom five on Aug. 18.
Dominic and Zoe Zungali are facing identical charges of five felony counts each of endangering the welfare of children, unlawful restraint of a minor and false imprisonment, as well as five misdemeanor counts each of cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person.
Dominic Zungali also faces 12 felony counts of aggravated assault, while Zoe Zungali faces 10 counts of the same charge.
Dominic and Zoe Zungali remain in custody in lieu of their respective $150,000 bails. They were both imprisoned at the Blair County Prison since their arrest on July 19, 2025, but Zoe Zungali was transferred to the Bedford County Correctional Facility on Oct. 3.
Dominic Zungali previously rejected a plea deal made by the Blair County District Attorney's Office in January for a 10-to-25-year prison sentence, saying the offer was "not fair."
The couple are scheduled for jury selection Nov. 19 in front of Schmitt, with a five-day jury trial set to begin on Dec. 7, online court documents state.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.