Plea deal still a possibility in Ceres toddler drowning case

MODESTO -- Attorneys are still discussing a possible plea deal in the case of a Ceres mother accused of murder in the drowning of her 2-year-old son.

Florcita Valdez, 36, appeared briefly Tuesday morning in Stanislaus County Superior Court. Judge Linda McFadden scheduled another pretrial hearing for July 17.

If the prosecutor and the defense attorney have not reached an agreement on a plea deal by next month's hearing, they are prepared to schedule a preliminary hearing for Valdez.

Valdez's son, Aureliano Joel Valdez, was found dead in the family's pool on Larson Lane in Ceres minutes after his mother reported the boy missing on July 18, 2010. The defendant remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail.