Santa Monica Mother Faces Charges in Baby’s Death Investigation
Mother Charged with Murder Following Infant’s Death in Santa Monica
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A mother has been charged with murder after the death of her baby in Santa Monica, according to officials. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has identified the suspect as 24-year-old Carmen Anita Degregg.
On January 6, police received a report from UCLA campus authorities about a woman making troubling statements regarding the well-being of her child. Officers quickly responded to a second-floor apartment at the Charlie Apartments, located in the 2000 block of Broadway. There, they discovered the infant with severe injuries. Emergency personnel transported the child to a local hospital, where the baby was unfortunately pronounced dead.
Degregg faces charges of murder and felony child assault, with bail set at $2 million. If convicted, she could be sentenced to up to 25 years to life in prison. Her arraignment is scheduled for January 9.
Witnesses expressed shock and distress over the tragic event. “They brought a little boy down—I think it was a little boy—on a gurney,” Fred Moynier, a nearby resident, recalled. “A fireman was on top of his chest working him, trying to bring him back to life.”
Investigators are reportedly examining the possibility that a frying pan may have been involved in the infant’s injuries. The incident has deeply affected the community, with residents voicing their concern. “I just can’t understand why anybody would be in that state of mind to do something like that,” remarked Sarah Coughlan, another local resident.
Degregg remains in custody at the Santa Monica Jail, and her identity, along with that of the child, has not yet been released. Neighbors also noted seeing a man believed to be the child’s father, who appeared visibly distraught during the incident.
The community continues to grapple with the implications of this tragedy as authorities work to uncover the circumstances surrounding the case.
