Upland Mother Tierra Rose Ortega is expected to be arraigned Friday on two criminal counts stemming from the death of her infant daughter, and the serious injury suffered by her toddler son when he was thrown to the ground from a second floor.
The first count alleges Ortega committed the assault that led to the death of daughter Ezlynn, 7 months old, who was found in the family apartment with a fractured skull.
There is no murder charge, but the second count alleges “willful, deliberate, and premeditated attempted murder” against her son, who was previously identified by authorities as Jerricho, 19 months old. He suffered a broken foot and other injuries, but is expected to recover.
Nothing in the filing gives any indication what may have led to the violence.
Authorities responded to the apartment complex on Wedgewood Avenue on Tuesday in response to a 911 call from a neighbor who saw the boy thrown off an outdoor upstairs hallway.
As officers entered the courtyard, the woman threw herself down, police said. Officers went into the apartment and found the daughter with mortal injuries.
Ortega's husband was away at work, police said. On being notified, he returned home, clearly distraught.
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Tierra Ortega, 24, was initially hospitalized with injuries to her face. After treatment, she was arrested and booked, and remains jailed on a no bail hold in the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
She has spoken with investigators, according to Police Capt. Marcelo Blanco, who declined to go into what she said.
It was anticipated Ortega would be arraigned shortly after the San Bernardino County District Attorney filed the criminal complaint Thursday morning, but Ortega was not brought to the courthouse and the arraignment was instead scheduled for Friday.
Boilerplate language in a notice after the first count indicated that "a suspected child abuse report (SCAR) may have been generated in this case."
But San Bernardino County Children and Family Services has had "no prior involvement with the (Ortega) family" and the child who died, Human Services Communications Officer C.L. Lopez stated in response to an inquiry.
