BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A Bakersfield woman charged with several counts following the death of her infant daughter has accepted a plea deal.
Court documents revealed Erika Cervantes pleaded no contest to willful cruelty to a child. In exchange, three other charges of willful cruelty to a child were dropped.
Three-month-old Aylin Bautista died of bacterial septic shock, according to the Kern County coroner.
On Dec. 20, 2015, sheriff’s deputies responded to Memorial Hospital regarding a report of child abuse which had occurred in the 600 block of Curtis Drive, authorities said.
The infant was transported to Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County, where she later died.
As part of the investigation, deputies said they checked the living conditions inside the home and found it to be infested with cockroaches and rodent feces.
Detectives served a search warrant at the residence and interviewed several family members. The Department of Human Services was notified and took the baby's twin and two other siblings into protective custody.
Cervantes is expected to be sentenced in June 2019.
The baby’s father, Jesus Bautista, was also arrested in the case and is scheduled to go on trial next year.
