There is a growing community uproar against the mother of a 3-year-old Taft girl beaten to death last week, allegedly by the mother's boyfriend. But, the Sheriff's Department says Angela Hanna is not considered a suspect. Sheriff's detectives aren't talking, because the case is still under investigation.
The story has generated a lot of feedback from the community. Of the 850 people who voted in a KGET poll Wednesday night, 98% said the mother should face criminal charges.
Some viewers compared the case to a similar one in Delano.
During a heated argument at a home on Oak Street in Taft, Eric Foster told detectives he let his girlfriend's daughter fall from his lap and slam her head on the coffee table. An autopsy found the left side of her skull was fractured and her brain was severely swollen.
The case is similar to one in Delano, where a 2-year-old boy died, also allegedly after being abused by his mother's live-in boyfriend. An autopsy revealed the child had broken ribs and a skull fracture.
Delano Police believe it was the boyfriend who inflected the fatal injuries, but the mother, Noemi Mendoza, was arrested last week on a first degree murder charge a year after the little boy's death. Police say Mendoza knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it.
In the Taft case, the Sheriff's Department says Angela Hanna is not considered a suspect and they won't comment on the case. Deputy District Attorney Andrea Kohler told 17 News she can't speak about the case because she doesn't want to jeopardize the investigation.
In Taft, blue ribbons line the streets in honor of Trinity Hanna. Her home on Oak Street is now up for rent. At the home of Trinity's grandmother, in nearby Valley Acres, no one answered the door.
17 News discovered an urgent care and Hall Ambulance in Taft are less than a mile away from the family's former home. The staff at Westside Urgent Care told 17 News if someone comes in with a real emergency, they won't turn you away if you can't pay upfront.
"We will see any patient that's in an urgent condition. We'll see them without question. We want to make sure we render service to everyone. If the care was so necessary that it needs emergency services, we would call 911 and there are three ambulances in that location that can take that patient into Bakersfield," said Leah Chivington.
