Stanislaus DA: Mother left crash scene, was bathing, with child still ‘in peril’

A drunk driver was located taking a bath while her daughter “remained in peril” at the scene of a March crash that ultimately claimed the 4-year-old’s life, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office alleges.

In a news release Friday afternoon, District Attorney Jeff Laugero announced that Juliette Marie Acosta, 26, of Oakdale, has been charged with the murder of her daughter, Reagan Herrin.

The crash was the night of March 8, into an irrigation canal along Canal Bank Road near Hickman.

Citing the criminal complaint, which the DA’s Office had not released as of midafternoon Friday, the release says Acosta allegedly was driving with a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit of .08%.

It further says that after being helped out of the vehicle and onto land, Acosta “left her partially submerged car while her daughter remained trapped inside, failing to render aid to her child.” It says she was “located taking a bath while her daughter remained in peril at the crash scene, and causing the death of a vulnerable victim.”

The release does not say where Acosta was found bathing and how she got there. Nor does it say where Acosta was coming from and heading to when she crashed. The California Highway Patrol is the lead investigating agency, and CHP Modesto area spokesperson Officer Tom Olsen told The Bee, “We are not in a position to disclose those specifics at this time.”

Acosta faces felony charges including murder, vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, permitting a child to suffer under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury or death, as well as resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer, peace officer or emergency medical technician.

If convicted on all charges, Acosta faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

“We recognize the significant interest the community has in this case,” Laugero says in the news release. “However, our responsibility to both the victim and the integrity of our legal system requires a thorough investigation based on the evidence and the law. This methodical approach ensures that justice is pursued based on accurate information. I appreciate the public’s patience and understanding in protecting the process and ensuring our ethical obligations are met. Justice requires our absolute adherence to these standards.”

The charges follow an investigation by the California Highway Patrol’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team, the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

The sheriff’s Dive Team provided specialized support throughout the investigation, which is ongoing, the release says. Anyone with additional information on the case is urged to contact CHP Detective A. Norseen at 209-545-7440.

Acosta is being held without bail in the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center. She was brought to Stanislaus County from San Francisco by the CHP.

This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM.