SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — A woman was found guilty of murdering her newborn child. It was found not far from a "Safe Surrender" location.
According to a release from the Kern County District Attorney's Office, Elvira Farias was found guilty of first-degree murder and one count of assault on a child causing death back on December 16th. On Monday, Farias withdrew a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, eliminating a second trial phase that would have addressed the insanity claim.
In 2015, Farias was found in a park in Shafter after having recently given birth. A short time later, a deceased male infant was found in some bushes behind James Street. An autopsy showed the child had died of blunt force trauma and testing confirmed it was Farias' son.
The child was found across the street from a fire station, which also served as a Baby Safe-Surrender location.
“Safe Surrender laws exist to ensure that children born in the worst of circumstances are given the opportunity to survive. The murder of an infant in any circumstance is horrible, but for such a crime to occur despite immediately available options at no cost to preserve the life of a child is an atrocity that the law strongly, and rightly punishes," said District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. "The withdrawal of the insanity plea is a clear indication that whatever narcotics or mental conditions that may have contributed to this murder do not rise to the level of legal insanity and will not excuse the horrendous crime committed on an infant.”
Farias is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1st, 2022. She faces 25 years to life in prison.
