BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Chilling images, revealing text messages and forensic evidence took center stage Wednesday morning inside courtroom number nine of the Kern County Superior Courthouse, where day three of Beant Dhillon's trial took place.
Dhillon is the woman accused of killing her grandson after his birth in 2018.
As court resumed, Prosecuting Attorney John Allen continued questioning a Bakersfield Police Crime Lab Technician with the last name Martinez.
Martinez said she processed the bathroom where prosecutors say Beant Dhillon found her 15-year-old daughter after giving birth to a baby boy on November 12, 2018.
Police said Dhillon allegedly admitted to police that she took her daughter's baby out of the bathroom and drowned the infant to "prevent family shame.”
On Wednesday prosecutors took the jury back inside the bathroom of the family home in Southwest Bakersfield.
Martinez said that three months after the alleged crime she was instructed to inspect under the bathroom sink for any possible traces of blood.
Martinez said she used a chemical called, "Blue Star" that illuminates blue light in areas that have "potential blood" on them after it is sprayed.
According to Martinez, the drain of the sink and the left side of the cabinet both showed possible traces of "potential blood."
Defense Attorney David Torres, arguing that the “potential blood” in the cabinet could have been contaminated or less potent after three months and Martinez agreed.
However, prosecutors then showed seven pictures that Martinez said she took during the autopsy of the dead infant.
In the photographs shown to the courtroom on a projector, the baby's body was coated black and the infant appeared to have a gash to the right side of his face.
Bakersfield Police Digital Forensic Examiner Santiago Baltazar was called to stand next.
Baltazar confirmed one of the phones confiscated from the family's home showed that more than 3,000 text messages and nearly 100 calls were exchanged between the user and a person saved as “G Husband."
The next witness called was Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Littlefield.
Littlefield said that on March 13, 2019, the social worker for Dhillon's daughter, who was placed in foster care after the incident contacted him to inform him that the teen had become pregnant again but that this time she had a miscarriage.
Littlefield said shortly after Dhillon’s daughter had a miscarriage he sat down to interview her for the second time.
According to Littlefield, Dhillon's daughter confirmed that she had consensual sex with a boy she met, but didn't know well.
Dhillon's daughter confirmed she had a miscarriage with Littlefield.
Littlefield said Dhillon's daughter also confirmed that the phone in question was hers and that “G husband” was her cousin Bakhshinderpal Mann who she believes is the father of the baby she gave birth to in her family's bathroom back in November.
All attempts to locate Mann have been unsuccessful and he is currently an immigration fugitive and wanted on criminal charges, according to Sgt. Littlefield.
Sgt. Littlefield also confirmed that Dhillon’s daughter sent a nude photo to Mann using the "WhatsApp" phone application on her phone.
The trial was dismissed for recess until 2 p.m. This story will be updated throughout the day.
