LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department Photo 217002802 © Elliott Cowand | Dreamstime.com

Van nuys mother charged with drowning 7-year-old daughter, pleads not guilty — LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department Photo 217002802 © Elliott Cowand | Dreamstime.com

VAN NUYS, CALIF. — A 37-year-old mother has been charged with murder in the drowning death of her 7-year-old daughter at a Van Nuys apartment, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman announced Tuesday.

Graciela Xiomara Castellanos was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to one felony count of murder and one felony count of assault on a child under 8 years old causing death. The charges stem from an April 11 incident in which the young girl was found dead at the scene by first responders.

“The alleged facts of this case — where a mother is accused of intentionally taking the life of her young child — are profoundly tragic and deeply unsettling,” District Attorney Hochman said in a statement. “We are committed to seeking justice through a thorough and fair prosecution.”

Castellanos is being held on $2 million bail. Her next court appearance, a preliminary hearing setting, is scheduled for June 17 in Department 112 of the Van Nuys Courthouse.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, the case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney MacKenzie Teymouri of the Family Violence Division’s Complex Child Abuse Section. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division led the investigation.

If convicted, Castellanos faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.

Key Points

Graciela Castellanos is charged with murder in the April 11 drowning of her daughter.
She pleaded not guilty; bail is set at $2 million with a June 17 court date.
The case is being prosecuted by LADA’s Family Violence Division.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office vowed a “thorough and fair” prosecution in a case that has shocked the Van Nuys community.

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