Categories: CrimeOCDASanta Ana

Santa Ana mother sentenced for murder after drowning her baby

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

Case # 12CF1980

Date: March 27, 2015

MOTHER SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 2-MONTH-OLD BABY GIRL BY DROWNING HER IN BATHTUB

SANTA ANA – A mother was sentenced today to 25 years to life in state prison for murdering her 2-month-old baby girl by drowning her in a bathtub. Lucero Carrera, 30, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury on Jan. 26, 2015, of one felony count each of first degree murder and assault on a child under 8 years old with force likely to produce great bodily injury resulting in death. On Feb. 9, 2015, the same jury found that Carrera, who had entered pleas of “not guilty” and “not guilty by reason of insanity,” was legally sane at the time of the murder.

In June 2012, Carrera lived in a trailer in Santa Ana with her mother and her 2-month-old baby daughter Kimberly Gutierrez.

At approximately 4:20 p.m. on June 29, 2012, immediately after Carrera ingested a large quantity of pills in an attempt to kill herself. She then filled her Jacuzzi bathtub halfway with water and intentionally murdered her baby by drowning her in the tub.

Carrera’s mother returned home from shopping and discovered baby Kimberly face-down in the bathtub.

The Santa Ana Police Department, who investigated this case, responded to the scene. Carrera was located in the trailer and transported to the hospital.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.

###

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.
Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

View Comments

  • How come when latinos are victimsvof crime, assaults they write "Latino man assaulted", etc. But in this case they didn't write, "Latina mother" Kills baby? Double standard.

  • The Latino is also given when the person is victim or gets an award. Lets judge people for the kind of person they are a what they accomplished as a person not by race. I.E. the first "Female, Hispanic, Gay".

  • if this defendant was the former county assessor, Rachauckas would have let this woman walk with a couple of misdemeanors (and not Murder)? The fact that she did not lower Rachauckas' annual property taxes through a favorite-son assessment, this woman was maxed out on her sentence by the DA's office, and will never receive the mental help she so desperately needs. Another win for the "Mighty Rachauckas." Congrats!

  • That's why God gave you that ugly old face because he knew you were going to be a c***. Stop doing meth b****

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