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Apple Valley Mother Arrested On Murder, Manslaughter Charges In Deaths Of 2 Infant Daughters 3 Years Apart

APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA) – A 28-year-old Apple Valley woman has been arrested on murder and manslaughter charges in the deaths of her two infant daughters which occurred about three years apart.

Kristin Brandon has been charged with murder in the death of Natalie Brandon and manslaughter in the August 2017 death of Aryana Harper, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reported Thursday.

Both victims were two months old when they died.

Brandon was taken into custody Aug. 4 at her home in the 20600 block of Waalew Road, according to sheriff's inmate records.

On March 3 of this year, deputies responded to Brandon's home where they found Natalie dead. They determined that Brandon had smothered her daughter to death while under the influence, the sheriff's department said.

During the ensuing investigation, detectives learned that Brandon's daughter Aryana had also died back in 2017. They found a "key witness" who confirmed that Brandon was under the influence as well when Aryana died in the 18400 block of Montezuma Street in Adelanto in August of 2017, according to the sheriff's department.

They concluded then that both girls' deaths were the result of negligence.

Brandon is being held in the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on $1.5 million bail. Her next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17.

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