A mother accused of pushing her baby from a parking structure in Orange now faces a murder charge after the 7-month old boy died Wednesday morning.
Confirmation regarding the death came just hours after the 7-month-old baby's mother was charged with attempted murder and felony child abuse causing great bodily injury.
The Orange County District Attorney amended the charges later Wednesday. Sonio Hermosillo, 31, now faces 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.
The charge carries a maximum sentenced of life in prison. Hermosillo was placed on a no-bail Customs and Immigration Enforcement hold.
Arraignment on the amended charges is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
Hermosillo pushed the child from the fourth floor of the parking structure Monday at Children's Hospital-Orange County, according to the district attorney's office. The boy had a medical condition that required regular visits to the hospital, but the family did not have an appointment that day.
The mother removed the boy's protective helmet, required for his medical condition, then pushed him from the parking structure's fourth level, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Hermosillo, who is married with two other children, then validated her parking and left the structure, prosecutors said.
A witness who saw the child fall called police.
Surveillance video from the parking structure and a call from the woman's husband, who reported that the boy and Hermosillo were missing, led police to a break in the case. The surveillance video showed the license plate of a tan 2000 Chevrolet Blazer, which matched the description of the vehicle Hermosillo was driving.
An Orange officer took Hermosillo into custody late Monday near Children's Hospital. An empty child car seat was found in the sport-utility vehicle.
At a news conference Wednesday, Noe Medina, the father of the baby, asked people to understand his wife didn't do it on purpose.
"She didn't know what she was doing," Medina said.
He never had any problems with his wife before in their 13-year marriage, Medina said, previous to having the child.
Medina said his wife was suffering from a "very serious condition, a very serious problem" and asked people not to hold this against her.
"She didn't do it on purpose. She didn't know what she was doing. Please understand her mental condition," Medina said through the translator.
Medina asked people to please understand the pain he's suffering. He just lost his child and doesn't want to lose his wife, too.
