Mental Evaluation Postpones Arraignment For Mom Who Fatally Threw Son Off Parking Garage

SANTA ANA (CBS) — An arraignment scheduled for Thursday on a murder charge for the La Habra woman accused of throwing her 7-month-old baby from the fourth level of a parking structure at Children's Hospital of Orange County was postponed until Monday.

Sonia Hermosillo, 31, has a medical hold on her for psychological evaluation, according to a court clerk.

Hermosillo is accused of taking a protective helmet off the boy -- he was born with flat-head and twisted-neck syndrome -- and intentionally dropping him to the pavement some 40 feet below Monday evening. The boy was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, where he was taken off life support Wednesday morning.

Hermosillo is being held in isolation and under suicide watch in a jail medical ward and is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. She made a brief court appearance at the Central Jail in Santa Ana on Wednesday but did not enter a plea.

Her bail was set at $1 million but Hermosillo, who is believed to be an undocumented immigrant, is also subject to an immigration hold.

In addition to murder, Hermosillo is charged with assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

Hermosillo's husband, Noe Medina, told reporters at UC Irvine Medical Center Wednesday that his wife suffered from postpartum depression and had rejected the baby because of his medical condition.

Hermosillo could use postpartum depression as a defense. But Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons said Wednesday that her decision to remove the boy's helmet indicated forethought.

A fund was established to help pay for the boy's burial. The Wells Fargo account number is 1584897597.

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