| For Immediate Release Case # 11CF2310 August 24, 2011 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
CHARGES UPGRADED TO MURDER AGAINST MOTHER FOR PUSHING 7-MONTH-OLD SON FROM FOURTH STORY OF HOSPITAL PARKING STRUCTURE
SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney’s office has filed an amended complaint charging a mother with murder for pushing her 7-month-old baby from the fourth story of a hospital parking structure. Sonia Hermosillo, 31, La Habra, is now charged with one felony count of murder and one felony count of assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. Hermosillo was in court today for an arraignment and is being held on $1 million bail, and she is also subject to a no-bail Customs and Immigration Enforcement hold. She is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.
On Aug. 22, 2011, Hermosillo is accused of driving her 7-month-old son, Baby Noe, to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and parking her car on the fourth floor of a parking structure. The baby suffered medical conditions that required him to be treated at CHOC regularly, but he did not have a scheduled appointment that day. The victim wore a helmet on his head for one of his medical conditions.
At approximately 6:20 p.m., Hermosillo is accused of removing the victim’s helmet and pushing her baby from the parking structure with the intention of murdering him with the four-story fall. Hermosillo is accused of then walking inside the hospital, validating her parking, and fleeing the scene.
A witness who saw the baby falling through the air called 911 and the Orange Police Department (OPD), who is investigating this case, responded to the scene. Baby Noe was transported to the trauma center at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.
OPD obtained a license plate number from a vehicle and matched it to an address in La Habra. The La Habra Police Department (LHPD) and OPD began to communicate and it was determined that Hermosillo’s husband had just called LHPD to report the defendant and his son missing.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., Hermosillo is accused of driving past CHOC on Main Street and was observed by an OPD officer. She was arrested at the scene.
Baby Noe remained in critical condition until today, Aug. 24, 2011, when he was pronounced dead at 9:25 a.m. due to the injuries.
The defendant is married and has two other children.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
###