CA - Mother leaves 4-year old daughter to die in submerged SUV after DUI crash - HICKMAN, March 2025

[Clearsky]

Oakdale mother charged with murder in suspected DUI crash that killed her daughter

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced that Juliette Marie Acosta, 26, was being charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter.

www.abc10.com

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced that Juliette Marie Acosta, 26, was being charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter, Reagan Herrin.

 

[sunspun]

Oakdale mother charged with murder in suspected DUI crash that killed her daughter

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced that Juliette Marie Acosta, 26, was being charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter.

www.abc10.com

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office announced that Juliette Marie Acosta, 26, was being charged with the murder of her four-year-old daughter, Reagan Herrin.

From the article:

Officials said she left her car partially submerged in the canal while her daughter was trapped inside. According to the DA's office, she was found taking a bath while her daughter was in danger.

Four-year-old Reagan Herrin was pulled from the car by a sheriff's deputy who jumped into the water, but she ultimately died.

?????????????

What on earth does that mean, she was found taking a bath??

Do they mean she walked home and was in the bath when LE came to her house?

Or was she still in the canal by the car, washing herself off or something? They wouldn't say she was taking a bath if so, I would hope.

Very strange awful story, maybe someone else has more details.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

From the article:

Officials said she left her car partially submerged in the canal while her daughter was trapped inside. According to the DA's office, she was found taking a bath while her daughter was in danger.

Four-year-old Reagan Herrin was pulled from the car by a sheriff's deputy who jumped into the water, but she ultimately died.

?????????????

What on earth does that mean, she was found taking a bath??

Do they mean she walked home and was in the bath when LE came to her house?

Or was she still in the canal by the car, washing herself off or something? They wouldn't say she was taking a bath if so, I would hope.

Very strange awful story, maybe someone else has more details.

News story link
It's definitely confusing! Here is another link that half explains it. I'm assuming she got out of the submerged car, left her daughter in it and went home and took a bath, and that's when LE came a callin?

 

[tlcya]

She was detained at a San Francisco hotel after she tried to flee, and her father was also taken into custody for allegedly trying to help her escape, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Drunk-driving mom crashed into canal, left to take bath as 4-year-old daughter drowned in submerged car: DA

Somera says he had arranged with police for his client to surrender at 8 a.m. Friday at the Modesto office of the California Highway Patrol.

“Any suggestion that my client was attempting to flee is completely false,” he said. “Such an accusation is not only unfounded, but appears intended to inflame public opinion and provoke scorn.”

Somera said Acosta’s father wasn’t helping aid her escape, but rather keeping her close to him while she was “emotionally and psychologically devastated.”

“Anybody who knows her father knows that he has a substantial amount of construction business in San Francisco, and he kept his daughter with her,” he added. “She was also part of his business.”
Mom left 4-year-old to die in submerged car after suspected DUI crash: DA

The defense attorney is splitting hairs with his comment about it being impossible for his client to have been taking a bath while her daughter drowned since her home and the bathtub are not adjacent to the canal she left her daughter to die in MOO. When she left the scene the car was only partially submerged. Her first thought was not my baby needs to be gotten out of this car! It was well I am a wet drowned rat of a mess, think I'll carry my drunk butt home and have a bath. Maybe her daughter died while she was in transit from canal to bathtub. The fact remains she left her child there to drown as she wandered on away from her DUI crash scene.

 

[sunspun]

Maybe she'll claim she was so drunk she completely forgot that her daughter was even with her in the car???

This excuse has worked for many a parent whose child died after they "forgot" them in a hot car. Though there have been plenty it DIDN'T work for as well...

 

[LadyL]

her poor daughter was 4, old enough to realize her mother abandoned her to die IMO

 

[Knox]

Ya well she put the child in the car when she left where ever she’d been drinking.

Blackout drunk and doesn’t remember anything? Nothing bodes well for her under any circumstance.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Because of the choice to drink and drive, if she did, she is legally responsible, even if she tries to claim she forgot her daughter, IMO. It's not the same as someone truly forgetting.