| For Immediate Release Case # 11CF2310 August 24, 2011 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
MOTHER CHARGED AND TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR ATTEMPTING TO MURDER 7-MONTH-OLD SON BY PUSHING HIM FROM FOURTH STORY OF HOSPITAL PARKING STRUCTURE
SANTA ANA – A mother has been charged and will be arraigned today for attempting to murder her 7-month-old baby by pushing him from the fourth story of a hospital parking structure. Sonia Hermosillo, 31, La Habra, is charged with one felony count of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation and one felony count of child abuse causing great bodily injury. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years to life in state prison. The People will be requesting Hermosillo be held on $1 million bail, and she is also subject to a no-bail Customs and Immigration Enforcement hold. The defendant is expected to be arraigned today, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011, in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana. Based on the arraignment process in in Department CJ-1, the time is to be determined and will not be available in advance.
On Aug. 22, 2011, Hermosillo is accused of driving her 7-month-old son, Baby Doe, 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. After attempting to murder Baby Doe, Hermosillo is accused of 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 Doe was transported to the trauma center at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center and remains in critical condition.
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.
The defendant is married and has two other children.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.
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