TURLOCK -- A Turlock mother pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and willful cruelty to a child in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
Brandy Lee Rose Devine, 25, appeared in Stanislaus County Superior Court for the first time since she was arrested Monday. Authorities found her daughter, Stephanie Torres, dead Monday afternoon at their home in the 1100 block of North Denair Avenue in Turlock.
An enhancement has been added to Devine’s charges, alleging that she personally inflicted great bodily injury on the toddler. If convicted, the enhancement could lengthen a prison sentence.
Devine entered the courtroom wearing a red and white jail inmate jumpsuit, her hair tied in a long ponytail. In a soft voice, she told the judge she had a copy of the criminal complaint and understood the charges against her. She also has been charged with use of methamphetamine.
Neighbor Colton Whitworth said he wasn’t surprised at the drug charge. He said Devine’s older daughters, 4 and 6, often played with his grandchildren and showed up dirty and unkempt. Devine also has an infant son. “I’d say, ‘Why don’t you go home and have your mom comb your hair?’ ” Whitworth said Wednesday. “They’d say, ‘Mom’s sleeping.’ ”
The children often would stay for hours with the Whitworths and sometimes asked for something to eat, he said. At the same time, Whitworth said, numerous visitors — mainly men — frequented the Devine home. “It’s really gotten crazy in the last month or so,” he said.
Whitworth’s wife, Lydia, went to the Devine home Monday when Devine came outside screaming that something had happened to her baby. Lydia Whitworth said she found the child inside, cold to the touch. “She knew the baby was dead,” Colton Whitworth said.
Devine appeared in court Wednesday with her defense attorney, Marcus Mumford. The hearing lasted only several minutes. Mumford told Judge Dawna Reeves he had only a copy of the criminal complaint and would need time to receive discovery evidence from the prosecution before proceeding.
Reeves scheduled Devine to return to court Sept. 7 for a pretrial hearing. Her bail was set at $1 million.
Several of Devine’s relatives attended the hearing. They declined to comment for this story.
The criminal complaint alleges that the child’s death occurred sometime between Friday and Monday. Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne declined to comment about the time of death or any evidence that led to the charges.
About 12:30 p.m. Monday, Turlock police responded to the home for a report of a nonresponsive child. When they arrived, they found the toddler dead.
Later that afternoon, Devine was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Her other children were placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, Turlock police said. All the children were at the family’s home when authorities arrived Monday afternoon.
Wednesday, someone dropped off a teddy bear and a small candle on the front porch of the Devine home. Whitworth said people he assumed were family members also came by, picked up some items and left.
An autopsy was performed Tuesday, but police would not release the child’s cause of death.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact Detective Justin Williamson at (209) 668-5550, ext. 6631. Callers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636 and may be eligible for a reward.
Bee staff writer Patty Guerra contributed to this report.
Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2394.
A Turlock mother this afternoon pleaded not guilty to murder and willful cruelty to a child in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
Brandy Lee Rose Devine, 25, appeared in Stanislaus County Superior Court for the first time since she was arrested. Authorities found her daughter, Stephanie Torres, dead Monday afternoon at their home in the 1100 block of North Denair Avenue in Turlock.
An enhancement has been added to Devine's charges, alleging she personally inflicted great bodily injury on the toddler. If convicted, the enhancement could lengthen a prison sentence.
Devine entered the courtroom wearing a red and white jail inmate jumpsuit, her hair tied in a long ponytail. In a soft voice, she told the judge she had a copy of the criminal complaint and understood the charges against her. The defendant also has been charged with use of methamphetamine.
She appeared in court with her defense attorney, Marcus Mumford. The hearing lasted only several minutes.
Mumford told the judge he had only a copy of the criminal complaint and would need time to receive discovery evidence from the prosecution before proceeding.
Judge Dawna Reeves scheduled Devine to return to court Sept. 7 for a pretrial hearing. Her bail was set at $1 million.
Several of Devine's relatives attended the arraignment hearing. They declined to comment for this report.
The criminal complaint alleges the child's death occurred sometime between Friday and Monday. Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne declined to comment about the time of death or any evidence that led to the charges.
About 12:30 p.m. Monday, Turlock police responded to the Denair Avenue home for a report of a nonresponsive child. When they arrived, they found the toddler dead.
Later that afternoon, Devine was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Her other children, 4- and 6-year-old daughters and an infant son, were placed in the custody of Child Protective Services, Turlock police said. All the children were at the family's home when authorities arrived Monday afternoon.
An autopsy was performed on the child Tuesday, but police would not release the child's cause of death.
Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2394.
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