A woman in California is facing charges because police believe she may have killed her toddler. Carmen Anita Degregg allegedly made remarks that led police to believe her child has been harmed and then left alone. Details about exactly what she said have not been revealed, however, as the incident is under investigation. Whatever she revealed, police did find her child extremely injured.
Sadly, despite the best efforts of first responders, the little one didn’t survive the injuries. Of course, this led to an hours-long investigation of Degregg’s home. The investigation led to her arrest, and formal charges are imminent.
UCLA Police alerted the Santa Monica Police Department just before noon January 6, 2026, that an adult female had been detained on the university’s campus, the Santa Monica department shared in a news release. The woman had made statements that indicated she injured her child and left the child inside an apartment.
“Officers responded to the residence where an infant was located inside an apartment with significant injuries,” the release read. Personnel from the Santa Monica Fire Department took the toddler to the hospital, where the child was later declared dead.
The woman, who was not initially named by Santa Monica Police, was taken into custody and brought to Santa Monica Jail. According to court records, Degregg is being held on $2 million bail, My News LA reported.
Although initial reports did not give an age or gender for the child, KABC reported that the child was a 15-month-old girl. Both KABC and My News LA state that a frying pan was somehow involved in the child’s death.
Despite this allegation, no details about the child’s injuries have been provided. The Los Angeles County medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
According to KABC, crime scene investigators spent more than seven hours canvassing Degregg’s apartment. Neighbors told Fox 11 that they heard “screams” from the apartment over the weekend but didn’t know if that’s when the child was injured.
“It’s pretty bad,” neighbor Fred Moynier said, adding he watched first responders bring the child out on a gurney and do chest compressions. “Why would a mother do that?”
Fox 11 reported that the child’s father was questioned by police but not arrested. Neighbors said he looked distraught while talking to officers at the scene.
The incident is under investigation by detectives from the Santa Monica Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. Degregg was scheduled to be arraigned on homicide charges on January 8, 2026, according to records obtained by People.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
