Patricia Ortiz Arrested; – A woman from Le Grand, charged with the murders of her three children, appeared in court for her preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Patricia Ortiz faces allegations of killing her three young children in January 2022. Upon the judge reading the charges, Ortiz displayed visible distress.
She is charged with three counts of murder, as prosecutors allege she took the lives of her daughters, 8-year-old Anna and 3-year-old Alexa, along with her 5-year-old son, Matteo, before attempting to take her own life. Deputy Bender, the first officer on the scene, testified that he found Ortiz in the bathtub with lacerations on her lower arms.
He recounted proceeding to one of the bedrooms, where he discovered the 5-year-old boy receiving CPR from a neighbor. “His arm was stiff in the air,” Bender recalled. He noted that the two girls were in a separate room, lying in a bed facing one another. Both children were cold to the touch.
The coroner ultimately determined that all three children had been suffocated. Mark Super, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy, indicated that it would have taken approximately five minutes to smother each child.
In addition to suffocation, Super suggested that 8-year-old Anna may have been restrained. “On the wrist, around these marks were these sticky particles of foreign material. These appeared to resemble particles of tape,” Super stated.
Despite the prosecution’s assertions, a significant wave of support for Ortiz was evident in the courtroom. Her brother spoke with Action News, expressing regret that he had not recognized sooner that his sister was struggling with mental health issues. Ortiz is scheduled to return to court on Wednesday morning.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or contemplating suicide, please contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
