Mugshot for Serri Renee Telnas, 45, of Porterville, Calif. (Tulare County Sheriff's Office )
A 7-year-old boy was taken off life support Sunday at California’s Valley Children’s Hospital while surrounded by family a week after authorities believe his mother took him and his 12-year-old brother to a rural irrigation ditch and tried to drown them.
Deputies found Jackson Telnas, 12, and his 7-year-old brother, Jacob Ray Telnas, unresponsive in an irrigation ditch full of water last Saturday in Porterville, Calif., according to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and local media. Jackson had suffered a traumatic brain injury, likely the result of drowning, the Visalia Times Delta reported.
"They had an hour with Jacob Ray to love up on him, Jacob got a chance to spend time with him and tell him how much he loves him," Diana Keeland, their grandmother told ABC 7.
Sherri Telnas, 45, who was arraigned last week, had already faced one count of murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait, the report said. She could be eligible for the death penalty.
She allegedly told deputies that she drowned the kids because they were possessed.
Jackson was 10 months old when Telnas tried to drown him in the Clark Fork River in Montana in 2008, the Mineral Independent reported at the time. During questioning, Telnas said “bad thoughts or voices” had told her to drown the baby, according to the paper.
In 2009 she pleaded guilty to lesser counts of criminal endangerment and was placed on probation for 20 years, according to the Independent.
Fox News' Robert Gearty contributed to this report
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
