Patricia Zarlingo stands at the podium as her 35-years-to-life sentence is pronounced Friday by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Sean O’Brien as she stands between her attorneys Thomas Zena, left, and Anthony Meranto.

WARREN — Avoiding the death penalty, Patricia Zarlingo was sentenced Friday to 35 years to life in prison after accepting a plea agreement for her involvement in a fatal house fire.

Zarlingo, 29, became the final co-defendant to take a deal, pleading guilty to charges of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and tampering with evidence. The case stems from a fatal house fire on Jan. 19, 2023, at 429 Nevada Ave. NW, Warren.

Trumbull County prosecuting attorneys saidy Zarlingo, who had been in an argument with an ex-boyfriend, drove from her and co-defendant Brendan Daviduk’s residence in Youngstown with Daviduk and another co-defendant, Zackary Gurd, to the Nevada Avenue home. Prosecutors say Zarlingo parked her car slightly down the road from the home. Gurd and Daviduk then broke into the home as one of the individuals poured gasoline and lit the home on fire. Besides Chassidy Broadstone, 16, two others were inside the home. The pair were able to escape.

Chassidy, who did not make it out of the home, died from smoke inhalation.

As part of the agreement, Zarlingo had one count of aggravated murder and the death penalty specification dropped. She was represented by attorneys Anthony Meranto and Thomas Zena. Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutors Chris Becker and Michael Burnett oversaw the case for the state.

Common Pleas Judge Sean O’Brien presided over her case and Daviduk’s. O’Brien said he struggled with sentencing. He told Zarlingo that had she gone to trial and jurors recommended the death penalty, he would have given it to her.

“I hope you understand the ramifications of your actions, and I hope you take advantage of the program,” O’Brien said.

Chassidy’s family gave emotional testimonies as members took to the podium to share their grief and said they hoped Zarlingo will change her ways in prison.

The teen’s mother, Rose Richards, said the last year, six months and nine days could have been different.

“You took Chassidy away. She was just a ray of light. Anybody that she’s met, they loved her, she grew on them,” Richards said, adding that despite her loss at the hands of Zarlingo and others, she prayed the defendant, “finds God” and heals Zarlingo from her past.

Chassidy’s father, Roger Broadstone, spoke briefly to say, “I pray for your children. I hope they have a good life.”

Chassidy’s stepfather, James Stein, said the 16-year-old was, “happy and so full of life,” but he expressed hope that Zarlingo finds light in prison. Zarlingo stood by, often staring into the distance and seldom glancing over to the family members as they spoke.

Despite not being the primary person to have started the fire that killed Chassidy, Becker said Zarlingo was the “driving force in causing these crimes and the death of Chassidy Broadstone.”

“At trial, we would’ve presented evidence that she drove the individuals there. She knew the address, which she had just found out a day or two prior, she had been feuding with Mr. Stein over some child support issues regarding a child they had together,” Becker said.

“So clearly, she had the whole motivation and our whole argument to the jury would’ve been clear that Zackary Gurd and Brendan Daviduk wouldn’t have gotten in the car and driven to Warren to burn the house down.”

Judge Cynthia Rice will sentence Gurd. A date has not been scheduled, but Becker said Gurd faces a potential 40 to 60 years to life.

Daviduk will be sentenced by O’Brien. A date has not been scheduled but he faces a 32-years-to-life sentence.

“It’s very rare in my 35 years of being a prosecutor that a case ends up with three co-defendants all getting life sentences, so that makes us satisfied,” Becker said.

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