Los Angeles

Family Defends Mother After Her Arrest for Infant's Death

Ivette Gonzalez, 27, was arrested in connection with the death of her 9-month-old daughter. Gonzalez's family say the infant accidentally choked to death.

The family of woman who was arrested in connection with the death of her 9-month-old daughter have come to her defense and say the infant's death was an accident.

Ivette Gonzalez, 27, was arrested in South Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Police Department for alleged child abuse of her daughter Selena, according to officials. A court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday morning. 

"It was a natural death," Gonzalez's husband, Francisco Galvez, said. "Terrible news. I was working when that happened. My wife called me around 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m."

Police first began investigating the incident on Saturday after they were called to a local hospital on a report of an injured baby.

Galvez's sister, Aimee Garcia, was with Gonzalez and the baby at the time of the death.

"Mom did CPR and couldn't get her to start breathing and she panicked and started screaming for help," Garcia said. "She didn't know what to do."

According to Garcia, Gonzalez ran to a nearby laundromat to call for help when the infant stopped breathing. Selena was rushed to California Hospital Medical Center, where she died.

There were three other children present at the time of the incident, and Gonzalez was arrested early Sunday morning.

"She did not kill her daughter," Garcia said. "It was an accident. I was an accident! Her kids were there."

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