Woman who drowned her three children ruled insane by judge

Deputy Public Defender Brandon Mata sits with Liliana Carrillo during her arraignment in Kern County Superior Court.

Oct. 17, 2024 3:57 PM PT

A Reseda woman who became obsessed with Qanon conspiracies and unfounded notions of a sex-trafficking ring before drowning her three children was found to have been insane during the killings, a judge ruled Thursday.

Liliana Carrillo, 33, was charged in the killings of her children, 3-year-old Joanna, 2-year-old Terry and 5-month-old Sierra, on April 10, 2021. In a televised jailhouse interview with KGET-TV, Carrillo admitted to drowning the children, saying she did so after kissing and apologizing to them.

“Do I wish that I didn’t have to do that? Yes,” she said in the interview. “But I prefer them not being tortured and abused on a regular basis for the rest of their lives.”

On Thursday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard S. Kemalyan found Carrillo not guilty by reason of insanity, based on a stipulation by all parties, said David Zygielbaum, the prosecutor in the case.

The judge based his decision on the reports of three doctors who assessed Carrillo, City News Service reported.

Zygielbaum declined to comment further on the case or the ruling.

Carrillo’s public defender also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

Court records, interviews and social media posts documented Carrillo’s descent into conspiracy theories, including a belief that Porterville, Calif., was the site of a child sex-trafficking ring.

The father of the children, Erik Denton, recounted in court records that Carrillo was struggling with postpartum depression, childhood trauma and motherhood.

When she started to make unfounded allegations of child abuse, court records indicated, social workers and police became involved and Denton was awarded physical custody of the children. Denton claimed Carrillo was experiencing a psychotic episode.

But a day before the children were to be turned over to Denton, Carrillo’s mother found the three children dead in a Reseda apartment.

Denton and other relatives testified during a hearing earlier this month, according to City News Service.

“I pray what she did will haunt her for eternity,” Denton said. “She deserves no peace for the rest of her life.”

Denton has since filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles city and the county, claiming police and social workers were negligent and ignored multiple warning signs about Carrillo.

A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 21 to determine where Carrillo will be committed.