(Thechieftainspear) – A 37-year-old woman has been formally charged in connection with the drowning death of her 7-year-old daughter inside their Van Nuys apartment earlier this month, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
The tragic event occurred on April 11 at an apartment complex located on the 6800 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to the scene just after 5 p.m. following reports of a child who was unresponsive and not breathing.
When officers arrived, they found the young girl in the bathtub. Despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released the child’s name.
A neighbor, speaking to local media, said the girl lived in a second-floor unit with her mother, now identified as Graciela Castellanos, and a man who reportedly discovered the child upon returning home. The man’s relationship to either Castellanos or the child remains unclear.
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Video captured at the scene showed Castellanos in visible distress with apparent lacerations on her body. She was taken into custody in a wheelchair, with her wrists strapped down.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman called the circumstances of the case “deeply disturbing,” stating, “The alleged facts of this case – where a mother is accused of intentionally taking the life of her young child – are profoundly tragic.”
Castellanos has been charged with one count of murder and one count of assault on a child under the age of eight causing death. She pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Tuesday and is being held on $2 million bail.
If convicted on all charges, Castellanos could face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 17.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the heartbreaking loss of this young girl,” Hochman added in a statement.
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