Upland mother charged in killing infant daughter, throwing toddler son from balcony

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Friday, March 1, 2019
Upland mom charged with killing baby daughter, injuring toddler son
Upland mom charged with killing baby daughter, injuring toddler sonAn Upland mother has been charged with causing the death of her infant daughter and serious injuries to her son.

UPLAND, Calif. (KABC) -- An Upland mother has been formally charged in connection with an incident at her apartment building that left her infant daughter dead and injured her toddler son, who was thrown from a second-story balcony, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Tierra Ortega, 25, is accused of one count of assault on a child, causing death, and one count of great bodily injury, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office.

Emergency responders found 7-month-old Ezlynn Ortega suffering from skull fractures Tuesday morning at an apartment in the 600 block of North Wedgewood Avenue.

Raw video shows an injured 1-year-old child on a stretcher being placed inside a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department helicopter.

Her 1-year-old brother, Jerricho Ortega, was allegedly thrown from the two-story building by his mother. He suffered a broken foot.

A witness said Tierra Ortega jumped from a balcony after throwing her son.

Both children were airlifted to a hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead. The mother had visible facial injuries in a booking photo released by authorities.

Her scheduled arraignment in Superior Court was postponed Tuesday.

A motive in the case remains under investigation.

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