On 12/1, Kelle Anne Brassart, 45, of Turlock, California, was convicted of second-degree murder and child neglect in the September 2025 death of her 3-year-old daughter, Danielle Pires.

Records show that at approximately 3:30 p.m. on 12/9/2025, Turlock police received a report from Kelle stating she "found a child unresponsive in her home's swimming pool."

Police arrived at the scene and found the girl, initiating emergency measures before paramedics transported her to the hospital. Doctors later pronounced her dead.

According to prosecutors, Kelle saw her child struggling but did not jump into the pool to save her. After calling 911, she simply waited for emergency responders without taking action.

Kelle Anne Brassart. Photo: Turlock Police Department

She claimed she could not do so due to a leg injury requiring a wheelchair. However, home surveillance cameras showed the mother could stand and walk. That day, she even drove herself to get a manicure.

During the police investigation into the drowning, the defendant appeared intoxicated. Investigators found many full and empty alcohol bottles hidden throughout the house. Her blood alcohol content was 0,246, three times the legal driving limit of 0,08.

Surveillance cameras also showed that instead of watching her child, Kelle was in the master bedroom chatting with men she met on dating applications.

In court, Kelle testified that she had told her daughter to go outside and play with the dogs. The girl followed the dogs into the backyard and was unsupervised while her mother chatted on dating applications.

Video footage showed the girl struggling in the water before drowning. She was just one week shy of her third birthday.

"She not only failed to care for her child but did so with such reckless indifference to human life that her actions constitute second-degree murder," the prosecutor said.

Kelle's lawyer stated that the incident was an "accident" and that she believed the child was inside the house. However, the prosecutor asserted that this was a case where the defendant knew the risks but showed no concern. "She did not care that her daughter was in danger. She did not care that she was not watching her daughter due to her selfishness and intoxication."

This was not the first time Kelle had been accused of child neglect. One of her other children had been hospitalized for nearly one week after ingesting various medications, according to prosecutors. Consequently, Kelle had previously been required by the court to attend a parenting class, which warned of the dangers of leaving young children unsupervised. Despite this, the tragic incident still occurred.

Sentencing is scheduled for 5/2. The defendant faces a prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment, as recommended by the prosecutor.

Hai Thu (According to Law and Crime, Fox40, Independent)