A California mother accused of killing her six-month-old daughter and dropping her one-year-old son from a balcony, appeared in court Friday and pleaded not guilty.
Tierra Ortega, 24, sat in a wheelchair and held her head low as she listened to video from the Upland scene during the brief court appearance on Tuesday.
A judge entered a not guilty plea for Ortega after he asked the woman if she could afford to hire a lawyer. A public defender will be appointed to represent her, KTLA reports.
Ortega was charged with assault on a child causing death and attempted murder for the Tuesday incident.
Tierra Ortega, 24, sat in a wheelchair and held her head low as she listened to video from the Upland scene during the brief court appearance on Tuesday
A judge entered a not guilty plea for Ortega after he asked the woman if she could afford to hire a lawyer
Six-month-old Ezlynn Ortega was found in her California home Tuesday suffering a fractured skull and not breathing.
Police allege that the girl's mother Tierra Ortega, 24, killed baby Ezlynn, then threw her one-year-old son Jericho off the balcony of their Upland apartment.
The parent then jumped off the balcony herself. Ortega and her son survived.
When cops arrived to the scene they found baby Ezlynn unresponsive inside the home, believed to be suffering a skull fracture and internal injuries.
She was rushed her to a local hospital with head trauma and pronounced dead at 1.30pm, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner's office.
Six-month-old Ezlynn Ortega was the baby found unresponsive and not breathing in an Upland, California apartment on Tuesday. Cops discovered the child after her mother Tierra Ortega allegedly threw her other child, Jericho, over a balcony and then jumped herself. Ezlynn was identified by authorities on Wednesay
Tierra Ortega seen in her mugshot (left) suffering facial injuries from the fall after reportedly jumping from the balcony. On the right she is pictured on her driver's license
Upland Police shared this fundraising poster saying the Ortega family will need financial help following the Tuesday incident to cover Ezlynn's funeral costs and Jericho's medical bills
The mother is considered a suspect in her death and the case is being investigated.
'That’s the worst type of situation that we can encounter, when you have a child in that state,' Upland police captain
