Photo: San Jose Police Department / Courtesy
A California mother was charged with murder for suffocating her infant daughter on her breast, frustrated that the twin would not latch on to food, according to police and the woman’s friends.
Celina Juárez, from 29 years old, from San Jose, allegedly broke out, pressing her 8-month-old daughter Melani against her skin for 10 minutes as the baby kicked and gasped on Nov. 4, police charged.
Then, Juárez picked up the twin, Zari, and tried to suffocate her as well, claimed the San Jose Police Department in a press release.
When police arrived, an unconscious Melani was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead . Juárez was charged nearly two weeks later on a murder charge.
Friends and Relatives insisted that Juárez is a dedicated mother who needs help dealing with her mental health problem and not imprisonment, so they are raising money for her legal defense.
“This is a mom who needs help, not vilified,” her friend Crystal Conroy wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page. “Although these circumstances are tragic, I know there was no malice behind them.”
The mother’s husband, Artemio Juárez, said that the The incident occurred at a time of weakness and that his wife is the victim of tragic circumstances.
“Those who know her know that this is not in his character. He has dedicated his entire life to children and his life revolves around our children and our family,” he wrote on the fundraising site.
“There are two sides to every story and we need all the help we can get to give Celina a chance to tell hers! This judgment is not correct, she is also a victim here,” he wrote.
Another friend, identified only as Michael, speculated that the incident may be related to “the desperation and concern of a mother” who “had a hard time keeping babies will latch on while breastfeeding.”
“It’s such a fragile time,” she said.
As of Friday, the family had raised $3,799 dollars of their goal of $ 11,10 Dollars.
Juárez had reportedly called his mother for help after trying to suffocate the babies. The older women performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation before calling Juárez’s brother, who dialed 799.
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