Court proceedings for a Davis woman accused of drowning her five-year-old daughter were halted on Nov. 8 after her attorney declared doubt to her mental competency to stand trial.
Yolo County Superior Court judge David Reed suspended Aquelin Crystal Talamantes’ case so she could go through court-appointed psychological evaluation by a mental health professional.
According to the Davis Enterprise, Reed set a court date for Dec. 9 to rule on the competency issue.
“This is part of making sure that the process is fair,” said prosecuting attorney Ryan Couzens after the trial on Nov. 8.
Authorities claim Talamantes drove from her South Davis home on Glide Drive to a relative’s house on Sept. 26 with her unresponsive daughter in the trunk. The events leading up to the daughter’s death occurred at Glide Drive, the family home in Davis. The daughter, Tatianna Garcia, died later at a local hospital.
The Sacramento County coroner’s office announced on Nov. 1 that the cause of death was drowning, according to The Davis Enterprise. Talamantes has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of murder and assault on a child resulting in death.
Currently, Talamantes is in custody at Yolo County Jail and is being held without bail.
— Paayal Zaveri
