Juana Perez Valencia, the 19 year old from Orange County who allegedly threw her baby in the dumpster after giving birth, pleaded not guilty yesterday in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.
The prosecutors allege that Valencia gave birth to a healthy baby at a Stanton eatery, and then threw the baby in a trash bin behind the Mexican restaurant. Prosecutors also say that there is evidence that Valencia knew of the state’s safe-haven law, which allows parents of unwanted infants no older than 3 days to hand over the babies to hospitals or police or fire stations without any questions asked. The purpose of such a law is to protect babies from being hurt or killed because of abandonment.
If Valencia really did abandon her baby by throwing it in the trash, then she should absolutely suffer consequences for her actions. Throwing a healthy infant in the trash just shows a complete disregard for human life. Valencia faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of the murder charge.
Yet Valencia will not go to prison without a fight. She now has Robert M. Viefhaus, an Orange County criminal defense attorney, on her side for help with representation in the courtroom. She will appear in court again for a pre-trial hearing on January 27.
- Waitress Set to be Arraigned in Baby’s Death (Los Angeles Daily News)
- Safely Surrendered Baby Law (County of Los Angeles)
- Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys (FindLaw)
ShareThis
