Woman Convicted of Leaving Baby To Drown in Bathtub, Hiding Body Sentenced to 9 Years

 A woman convicted of leaving her newborn baby to drown in a bathtub and hiding its body beneath her Seaside home for two years was sentenced to nine years in prison today in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas.

Judge Carrie Panetta handed down the prison term to Jennifer Cecilia Warren, 41, for involuntary manslaughter and the felony crime of willfully allowing her baby to drown with an enhancement for committing great bodily injury, Deputy District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said on Thursday.

On Feb. 22, 2013, Warren contacted the Seaside Police Department complaining about being harassed by her neighbors but then told officers that she had given birth at home in a half-full bathtub in 2011, prosecutors said.

She explained that she did not want to keep the baby so left it in the water until it stopped moving, according to Pacioni.

Warren admitted to wrapping the dead baby in a sweatshirt, placing it in a plastic dog food container and hiding it in a crawl space under her home where it remained for two years, she said.

 Police recovered the liquefied remains of the newborn and a pathologist determined it had been near or full term at the time of its death, she said.

As the case progressed, the court ruled that Warren was not mentally able to relate to her legal counsel for her defense and so was sent to a state mental hospital for treatment.

Her psychological condition stabilized thanks to medication and she was returned to jail when experts determined her competency had been restored.

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us