BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The woman accused of drowning her infant grandson completed telling the jury her recount of what took place that evening on Nov. 12, 2018,
Beant Dhillon finished testifying Thursday about how she took the blame for her nephew Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann, who is also the baby's father and has been missing since the discovery of the infant's body.
Dhillon testified that on the night her daughter gave birth, Dhillon was in her bedroom when she heard the baby crying.
Prosecutor John Allen questioned Dhillon vigorously, asking why in transcripts of her testimony to police on several occasions, she appears to suggest the baby was stillborn. Allen questioned Dhillon's testimony stating that she only said she heard the baby crying in the house after police detectives pushed her, saying they believed the baby had been born alive.
Dhillon testified Thursday that she did tell police she heard the baby cry and she did not know why they did not write it in their reports. When pushed further by the prosecution, Dhillon continued to say that everything she did in this case, including what she says is a false confession, was to protect her family.
Dhillon is facing life in prison over the death of her grandson, who was drowned shortly after his birth on Nov. 12, 2018. According to police reports, Dhillon confessed to drowning her grandson in order to "prevent shame" for her family.
Along with a first-degree murder charge and assault charge for the infant, Dhillon is also facing an assault charge for failing to get medical care for her daughter after she'd given birth.
On Thursday, chief medical officer of Memorial Hospital Rodney Root testified. Root has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 26 years in Bakersfield.
Root testified to the process of childbirth, possible complications, and the dangers in this case. Having looked over the autopsy of the infant in this case, Root testified to multiple different scenarios that could have taken place when Dhillon's daughter gave birth.
Defense attorney David A. Torres asked Root about the complications that could take place if an infant is not cared for properly before and after birth, including bleeding out due to an unclamped umbilical cord.
Dhillon testified that after her daughter gave birth, she cared mainly for her daughter and the infant was left with Mann in the bathroom.
Dhillon testified when Mann brought her the baby later, it was a bluish-white and not breathing.
Dhillon said her husband and Mann were the ones who buried the body in a 2-foot grave in the backyard. She said Mann told her the baby had died then he and Singh buried the body with salt to disguise the smell of decomposition.
Court is scheduled to resume Friday at 9 a.m.
The judge said the evidentiary portion of the trial is expected to wrap up in two or three days, at which point jurors will hear closing arguments and start deliberating.
