A Sacramento County jury has convicted Kristina Huemann Siedlecki of second-degree murder in the death of her 8-month-old daughter, Jannah Abughazaleh, who died after suffering severe burns that her parents allegedly refused to get treated out of fear of arrest. Siedlecki now faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 23.
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office announced the conviction in the case, identified as #24FE020329, which was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Dinah Mielke of the Homicide Unit. As reported by KCRA 3, Jannah was found unresponsive on Aug. 25, 2024, with second-degree and third-degree burns covering 25% to 35% of her body, according to detectives. She died of burn complications.
According to detectives, Siedlecki and the child's father, Hussein Abughazaleh, decided not to seek professional medical attention for Jannah until it was too late. Per the District Attorney's Office, Hussein Abughazaleh put the infant in a bath with dangerously hot water that burned her. The parents had claimed, according to CBS Sacramento, that the injuries actually stemmed from a bath the baby had taken days earlier.
Searches and Social Media Use Raised Questions
Prosecutors said Siedlecki's phone internet searches showed she understood the danger of not treating her daughter's injuries, per the District Attorney's Office. Investigators say she avoided seeking help because she feared being arrested. On the morning of the child's death, Siedlecki noticed Jannah's breathing had changed, and the baby soon became limp and unresponsive; according to the seed reporting, Siedlecki then went on social media rather than immediately getting the child emergency care. Per the District Attorney's Office, Hussein Abughazaleh contacted a friend for help 45 minutes later.
Both parents have since admitted to watching the child's condition deteriorate without ever seeking medical care, out of fear that Child Protective Services would get involved, the CBS Sacramento report notes. Jannah's death was officially ruled a homicide by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office, after which both parents were arrested on homicide charges, the station reported. Hussein Abughazaleh and Siedlecki were held without bail at Sacramento County Main Jail, according to the Sacramento Bee.
Father Died After Compassionate Release
Hussein Abughazaleh never faced trial. He was released from custody on compassionate grounds following a medical emergency, and he died later that same day while out of custody, according to KESQ. He had been arrested and accused of murder in the case before his death.
Jannah's grandmother, Naomi Magness, has said she tried to intervene well before the baby's death. According to the seed reporting, Magness was concerned about Jannah's safety even before the child was born and contacted Child Protective Services to seek protection for her. When she received no word back from CPS, Magness called an abuse hotline, which connected her to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office; the sheriff's office in turn connected her to the coroner's office, which confirmed that Jannah had died. Magness has said the child protective services system failed her family.
County Declines to Discuss Specifics
Sacramento County has said it could not confirm, deny, or discuss specific reports due to legal and confidentiality guidelines, per the seed reporting. Under California law, second-degree murder generally carries a sentence of 15 years to life in state prison except for specified statutory exceptions, according to California Legislative Information.
