Update: Woman enters plea in stabbing death of 4-year-old daughter at Modesto apartment
A Modesto woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday in the stabbing death of her 4-year-old daughter.
Mina Nazari, 34, faces first-degree murder and other charges following her arrest Saturday at the family’s apartment. Police said officers found victim Sana Akram dead at the scene, off Scenic Drive near Claus Road.
Nazari was arraigned in Stanislaus Superior Court, assisted over Zoom by a Farsi interpreter. She was born in Iran, according to the booking log at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center.
Nazari remains in the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center without bail. Judge Kellie Westbrook ordered her to return to court Tuesday, Oct. 24, to hear a defense request that bail be set.
At the arraignment, Nazari wore a jail uniform with orange and white stripes and shackles on her wrists and ankles. She mostly looked straight ahead during the proceeding.
Family members in the courtroom declined to comment afterward to The Modesto Bee. Nazari’s public defender, Ryan Bowler, did the same.
Nazari also is charged with child abuse causing Sana’s death and with three counts involving her 10-year-old son, who police said was not harmed. These charges are attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.
Neither police nor the prosecution have said what led Nazari to allegedly kill her daughter. The prosecution did disclose in a complaint filed Tuesday that the girl was stabbed with a knife. The filing said the act was premeditated, a key part of first-degree murder.
Deputy District Attorney Fawn Smolak said that if bail is set, it should be at least $2.635 million. The prosecutor argued that Nazari is a flight risk due to having relatives overseas.
A friend of the family created a GoFundMe account to help with burial expenses for Sana. It said her father, Fahim Akram, is a full-time Uber driver.
This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 4:30 PM.
