Friday, July 21, 2000
Accused mother, 16, sobs in court
By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON — A 16-year-old girl will find out Aug. 1 whether she will be tried as an adult on criminal charges related to the death of her infant daughter.
The girl sobbed Thursday in Butler County Juvenile Court as Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Romans read the new charges filed against her on Wednesday.
The bailiff and a security officer led the teen's mother out of the courtroom after she started angrily shouting at Ms. Romans.
“How can you do this?” she yelled at Ms. Romans.
The girl cried as she sat next to her attorney, Karan Horan.
“But I didn't do it,” the girl said.
Judge David Niehaus scheduled an Aug. 1 hearing to determine whether the girl will be tried as an adult.
The girl, the mother of 11-week-old Maria Gomez, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, permitting child abuse and two counts of child endangering. Because her case is still in juvenile court, the Enquirer is withholding her name.
These new charges replace the original charges of felonious assault and child endangering that had been filed before her daughter's June 12 death.
The baby's father, Ramon Gomez, has been indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, two counts of felonious assault and two counts of child endangering.
Hamilton police have said Maria suffered physical abuse throughout her short life at the Hamilton apartment her parents shared.
The infant's mother and a friend took her to a Hamilton hospital on June 9 when she stopped breathing. Maria died when life support was removed at Children's Hospital Medical Center three days later.
Ms. Horan asked Judge Niehaus for copies of six to eight letters that Mr. Gomez has sent to Maria's mother at the juvenile detention center.
The judge said the juvenile probation department will continue to hold the letters until he decides whether to send the case to the adult court system.
Juvenile officials said the girl opened only the first letter. The others have not been opened, they said.
“My client doesn't want any contact with this man,” Ms. Horan told the judge. “She doesn't want to know he exists.”
Judge Niehaus ordered the girl to continue to be held at the juvenile detention center.
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