California mom convicted of murder after baby dropped from hospital’s parking garage
Sonia Hermosillo wasn't supposed to be alone with the baby because of her mental health issues, her husband told police, according to a report
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A California woman was convicted of murder Wednesday in the 2011 death of her 7-month-old son, according to reports.
The defendant, Sonia Hermosillo, 41, of La Habra, had pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, the reports said.
Authorities said Hermosillo had tossed the infant from the fourth floor of a parking garage at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, the Orange County Register reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was sick and his mother didn’t want him," Orange County Deputy District Attorney Mena Guirguis told jurors, according to the newspaper. "She made a cold-hearted decision to kill her child."
"He was sick and his mother didn’t want him. She made a cold-hearted decision to kill her child."
Hermosillo had fled with the boy while her husband was in the shower, and driven 30 minutes to the hospital, the Register reported. She wasn't supposed to be alone with the baby because of her mental health issues, the husband later told police, KTLA of Los Angeles reported.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After dropping the infant to his death, Hermosillo drove off, stopping to validate her parking, the report said.
She had removed a protective helmet the child had been wearing because of developmental issues, according to the report.
Now that Hermosillo has been convicted, the trial will enter a second phase that will determine Hermosillo’s sanity at the time of the crime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sonia Hermosillo tossed her 7-month-old son from the fourth floor of a hospital's parking structure, authorities say. (Associated Press).
The same jury from the murder trial will hear the sanity phase, KTLA reported.
Some witnesses had testified during the trial that Hermosillo had struggled with mental health issues after the boy was born, the Register reported.
After her arrest, detectives reported that she seemed to show feelings of "hate, resentment and anger" toward the child "because he’s sick."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hermosillo’s defense attorney, Jacqueline Goodman, claimed her client was delusional and suffered a "psychotic break" around the time of the child’s death.
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Goodman claimed that comments Hermosillo made to police about being angry with the dead boy were indications of "mental illness," not a murder confession, the Register reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The sanity phase of the trial is set to begin Aug. 24, with Hermosillo facing 25-years-to-life in prison if found to be sane, the report said.
She was being held without bail pending further legal action, according to KTLA.