TULARE COUNTY, CA (KMJ) – A Tulare County judge has sentenced a Visalia woman to probation and nearly a year in jail in a child neglect case that prosecutors say led to the death of her young son.
44-year-old Sandy Flores pleaded no contest to felony child abuse after investigators found six children living in severe neglect, including unsanitary conditions and lack of medical care. The house was sparsely furnished with only a queen-sized bed and a couch and was occupied by nine people.
Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward called the sentence “inexcusable.”
“What this defendant did to her own children was extreme, severe neglect. Her 10-year-old lost his life in a home where he should have been protected. Her 2-year-old also nearly died,” said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. “Despite that, the court returned the defendant to the surviving children she victimized. How does that make sense?
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
