Grandmother's bail set at $3.2 million after not-guilty plea in Colton triple stabbing

COLTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A grandmother pleaded not guilty Thursday in connection with a triple stabbing in Colton that left her 18-month-old granddaughter dead and wounded the suspect's adult daughter and another granddaughter.

The plea was entered by an attorney for Nicole Yanick Darrington, 43, who appeared at an arraignment in a San Bernardino courtroom. Darrington's bail was set at $3.2 million.

"Obviously this is someone who snapped and has some very serious problems," defense lawyer Loyst Fletcher said in an interview after the hearing.

Darrington is accused of stabbing 18-month-old Damani Trouter to death with a knife Monday morning and wounding the toddler's 5-year-old sister and mother at their Colton apartment. The grandmother was arrested by sheriff's deputies early Tuesday after she was found asleep in her car in San Bernardino, authorities said.

In an interview with ABC7, Darrington's father said he had suspected such in incident might occur because she is schizophrenic and has a violent criminal history.

In 2006, the grandmother pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. After a court found her guilty by reason of insanity, she was committed to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County. Darrington was released to an outpatient program in 2010, and in 2015 she petitioned the court to declare her sane.

Her father, Sam Clark, said the court should not have reinstated her legal status as sane, adding that he feels the system failed his mentally ill daughter.

"One minute, my granddaughter said she was laughing. The next minute she was coming at her with a knife," Clark said. "So you never know what's going to happen. And she was like this ever since -- for years."

Darrington is due back in court Monday for a preliminary hearing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.