- Graciela Castellanos pleaded not guilty to murder and assault charges
- Neighbor reported hearing screams of Mommy, please nobefore death
- LA County DA calls case profoundly tragicwith June court date set
- National maternal filicide rates increased 18% since 2020 per CDC data
Los Angeles prosecutors have charged 37-year-old Graciela Castellanos with first-degree murder following the alleged drowning of her 7-year-old daughter in a Van Nuys apartment. The case has sparked renewed conversations about mental health interventions for parents, with court records revealing Castellanos had no prior child welfare complaints.
Regional comparisons show three similar maternal filicide cases in Southern California since 2022, including a San Bernardino incident where untreated postpartum depression contributed to infant harm. Child protection experts emphasize that 68% of filicide cases involve documented mental health crises, yet only 22% of at-risk parents receive state-funded counseling services.
Legal analysts note the unusual speed of this prosecution, with charges filed within 72 hours of the April 11 incident. The DA's office confirmed they're reviewing text messages and prescription drug history as potential evidence. Neighbor Maria Gutierrez told investigators she heard prolonged arguing followed by water sounds prior to the child's death.
This tragedy coincides with California's $2.3 billion Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative implementation challenges. Family court reforms proposed in Assembly Bill 1532 could mandate mental health screenings during custody disputes - a policy that might have flagged Castellanos' reported anxiety disorder diagnosis from 2021.
