(L.A.) Joanna Denton Carrillo, 3, Died at the Hands of Her Mother

Case Number: 2021-05001

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a 3-year-old Hispanic female that occurred at a residence in Reseda.

The coroner’s office has identified the child as Joanna Denton Carrillo.

Manner of Death: Homicide

Cause of Death: Drowning

RIP JOANNA DENTON CARRILLO (March 11, 2018 – April 10, 2021)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Saturday at 9:40 a.m.

The decedent, along with her two siblings, were killed by their mother.

The children’s father, Erik Denton, had repeatedly alerted child welfare agencies in Tulare and Los Angeles counties of his ex-girlfriend Liliana Carrillo’s bizarre behavior — including that she claimed she was solely responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Denton has filed suit against the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, alleging that LAPD officers were negligent for ignoring the please of emergency room physician Dr. Teri Miller, who expressed concern that Liliana Carrillo might kill the children.

“Central to this case is several LAPD officers’ failure to meet the basic requirements of their duties as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect,” Denton’s lawyers argue in their court papers.

LAPD took a report of possible molestation of the children in February 2021, yet did not prepare a required suspected child abuse electronic report or notify the county Department of Children and Family Services.

A month later, LAPD officers responded to a call by Denton, who had an emergency custody order directing that Carrillo turn over custody of the children to the plaintiff, according to Denton’s attorneys’ court papers, which further state that the police report documents that Carrillo was possibly suffering from an unknown mental illness.

“These colossal failures raise serious questions about what the officers present during these interactions knew, what training they had about how to engage with and navigate allegations that a mother suffering from mental illness might kill her own children and what training they had about other resources available to take action to prevent the children’s deaths,” Denton’s lawyers wrote.