‘Mommy, please no!’: Woman accused of drowning 7-year-old daughter in bathtub was worried about legal status and possible deportation, fiance says

A parent successful California has been accused of strangling and drowning her 7-year-old girl successful their bathtub — with neighbors saying they heard the kid screaming, “Mommy, delight no!” close earlier her alleged murder, which her fiance claims was fueled by the woman’s slump and fears implicit her migration status.

Graciela Castellanos, 37, was allegedly suffering from intelligence wellness issues and was disquieted that she was going to beryllium deported implicit her ineligible status, her fiance tells section ABC affiliate KABC, speaking nether the information of anonymity.

The man, who is not the begetter of Castellanos’ daughter, described Castellanos arsenic an “almost cleanable mom” who ne'er harmed oregon told “a atrocious word” to the child, per KABC.

“She was the sweetest ma successful the world,” the fiance said, noting however helium got to the flat aft the cops were called, though it’s unclear by whom. “I ne'er got to the flat and saw the girl, oregon [Castellanos],” the antheral told KABC. “I got location aft each of it happened. This happened astatine 4 p.m. oregon 5 p.m. and I got location astatine astir 7 connected the dot,” helium said.

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Rebecca Castellanos was recovered by Los Angeles constabulary officers and paramedics astatine the flat successful the 6800 artifact of Sepulveda Boulevard astatine astir 5:40 p.m. past Friday, April 11, unresponsive successful the bathtub. She was aboriginal pronounced dormant astatine the country by archetypal responders.

According to KABC, a neighbour who spoke to the outlet and besides asked to stay anonymous said she heard the kid screaming earlier the constabulary arrived. Castellanos’ fiance said she suffers from intelligence and affectional wellness issues, which origin her to often shriek and isolate herself until she tin calm down. But she’s ne'er been convulsive successful the past, helium insisted.

The antheral said helium believed Castellanos was yet triggered by fears implicit the anticipation that she whitethorn not beryllium allowed to go a U.S. citizen, and would beryllium deported arsenic a result.

Her daughter’s decease comes arsenic migration and deportations proceed to beryllium a heated contented successful the United States and national courts close present pursuing President Trump’s determination to footwear radical under an 18th-century wartime authority.

Rebecca died of asphyxiation owed to cervix compression and drowning, according to the aesculapian examiner.

Castellanos is expected to look a complaint of execution and her bail has been acceptable astatine $2 million.

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