A Santa Monica mother is currently behind bars with bail set at $2 million following the tragic death of her infant daughter, who sustained significant injuries allegedly involving a frying pan. The suspect, 24-year-old Carmen Anita Degregg, was detained by UCLA campus police after she reportedly admitted to harming her child. According to Eyewitness News, Degregg was arrested and incarcerated at Santa Monica Jail on felony charges.
The Santa Monica Police Department responded to the residence at The Charlie apartments in the 2000 block of Broadway shortly before noon on Jan. 6, after learning of the woman's confession, KTLA reported. When authorities entered the apartment, they discovered the 15-month-old baby, who was subsequently rushed to a hospital by paramedics from the Santa Monica Fire Department, though the child, unfortunately, could not be saved.
While a motive has not been publicly disclosed, the nature of the injuries was so grave that neighbors had heard unsettling sounds and had conjectured about a possible weapon. One resident, Vitty McClung, said to KTLA, "I heard a woman talking, but like in distress, kind of gossiping and something weird coming exactly from that apartment around 9 o’clock, saying, ‘We need to leave,'” McClung added, “She left a baby there.”
Investigators from the Santa Monica Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division spent over seven hours surveying the apartment, carrying away evidence that could shed light on the events leading up to the child's death. As of yet, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has not released an official cause of death; however, the Santa Monica Police Department stated in their release, obtained by CBS News Los Angeles, that they believe the incident to be isolated, confirming that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The investigation is active, with no further details about the specifics of the case or the sequence of events leading to the infant’s death currently available. The story continues to develop as the community grapples with the realities of a profound tragedy that unfolded in their midst. Degregg's connection to UCLA has not been clarified at this time, nor have any additional suspects been suggested in connection with the case.
