HONESDALE – A South Canaan man could spend up to the next 16 years in State Prison after pleading guilty in Wayne County Court to a series of charges involving the physical and mental abuse of five minor children.
The children told authorities Daniel Mandic, 38, beat them frequently, sometimes with a belt and other times with other objects. Wayne County District Attorney Patrick Robinson said the abuse took place during 2017 when the children ranged in age from 8 to 11 years old.
He said the children described a horrific living situation and cited specific instances in which the Defendant threatened the children with guns and knives, lifted one of the children into the air by the throat and held her there until she stopped struggling, and pushed a child’s head through a wall, among other atrocious acts of child abuse.
Additionally, authorities found Mandic to be in possession of three firearms, which he is prohibited to possess as a convicted felon. He was also on probation supervision during the commission of all of the above crimes.
Senior Judge Raymond Hamill sentenced him to 93.5 to 192 months in a State Correctional Institution for five counts of simple assault and one count of persons not to possess a firearm.
First Assistant District Attorney Deborah E. Rothenberg handled both criminal cases. “What these 5 children were subjected to by their father was heinous and evil,” she said. “A father is supposed to love and guide his children, not viciously beat and threaten and demean them.
“I am abundantly thankful to Judge Hamill for the stiff sentence imposed today, as it was certainly justified. With a minimum sentence of over 7.5 years in State Prison, all of the children that were subjected to this Defendant’s frightful criminal conduct will be adults by the time he is eligible for parole.”
Rothenberg offered special thanks to the Wayne County Multidisciplinary Task Force, most specifically Children and Youth Caseworker Scott Miller, who dedicated his time and efforts to ensuring this matter was thoroughly investigated and pursued. Without his efforts, this sentence likely would not have happened.”