WOODLAND — The attorney for a Davis woman accused of drowning her young daughter plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, according to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.
Supervising Deputy Public Defender Sally Fredericksen, who represents 29-year-old Aquelin Crystal Talamantes, made the disclosure Friday morning after providing the case’s prosecutor with a copy of a recent psychologist’s report.
Fredericksen could not be reached for further comment. She had raised questions about her client’s mental competency in November, but Talamantes was determined to be competent after undergoing a psychological evaluation.
Judge David Reed ordered Talamantes to stand trial on murder and child-assault charges earlier this month following a preliminary hearing.
An arraignment hearing Friday in Yolo Superior Court was postponed until Feb. 5, at which time attorneys in the case will determine how to proceed in light of the anticipated insanity plea, Deputy District Attorney Ryan Couzens said.
Talamantes is accused of drowning 5-year-old Tatiana Garcia in the bathroom of the family’s Glide Drive home on Sept. 26, then driving with the child’s body in the trunk of her car to an apartment complex in Sacramento, where it was discovered by relatives and police.
— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene