Corrina Atuatasi Let Her Baby Suffocate In Clothes Pile After Booze Binge

**Whisper** · November 23rd, 2011, 11:07 PM

GARDEN GROVE (CBS) — A 27-year-old Garden Grove woman accused of leaving her 2-month-old son to suffocate in a pile of clothes following an hours-long drinking binge was arrested Wednesday on a warrant for involuntary manslaughter.
Corrina Atuatasi was arrested at her home just after 4 p.m. in Garden Grove on a $1 million warrant, police Lt. Jeff Nightengale said.
Atuatasi, who was caring for her son Aiden Galeai while her husband and 2-year-old daughter were away visiting family, left the infant alone in her apartment the evening of Oct. 30 to smoke a cigarette in the courtyard, Nightengale said.
Atuatasi met a neighbor who convinced her to join him and two other friends to drink in the neighbor’s apartment, Nightengale said.

It is not clear how long Atuatasi was drinking with the neighbors as “her memory’s cloudy” about the events of that night, Nightengale said.
At some point she returned to her apartment, put Aiden in a car seat and returned to the neighbor’s apartment for several more hours of drinking, Nightengale said.
Atuatasi returned home about 4 a.m. with her baby, who somehow ended up face down in a pile of clothes, Nightengale said.

She woke up about 6 a.m. and called 911 to say her baby was missing, Nightengale said. By the time police arrived, she had found Aiden and put him on the bed, Nightengale said.
Her blood-alcohol level was .23 percent as of 9 a.m., Oct. 31, Nightengale said.

Atuatasi is charged with involuntary manslaughter by unlawful act in unlawful manner and felony child abuse with a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a child younger than 5. [....]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/...r-booze-binge/

**Whisper** · November 23rd, 2011, 11:09 PM

GARDEN GROVE – A mother has been charged in the death of her 2-month-old baby, who police allege died while the woman was on a Halloween drinking binge.
[...]
Officers found Atuatasi's 2-month-old son, Aiden Galeai, dead when they responded to a 911 call from her Garden Grove apartment Oct. 31, according to a written release from the Garden Grove Police Department and the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Atuatasi had been left to watch for Aiden while her husband and her 2-year-old daughter were away visiting family, authorities said.
Police say that on the night of Oct. 30, Atuatasi spent several hours drinking with a neighbor and two of his friends at another apartment unit. During part of the evening, they allege she left the baby alone in her apartment unit until taking him over to her neighbor's home in a car seat and placing him in a bedroom.
[...]
Aiden ended up facedown in a pile of clothing and suffocated, authorities said. Investigators say they have not determined whether Aiden was dropped onto the pile of clothes or if he was placed face-down onto the pile.
Atuatasi reportedly called 911 after waking up about 6 a.m. and being unable to find Aiden. Authorities allege that she found the baby before police arrived and moved him to a bed.
[..]
If convicted, Atuatasi faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/atuat...thorities.html

**MissDemeanor** · November 23rd, 2011, 11:22 PM

Only 12 years? She deserves to spend the rest of her life there. Who in their right mind would leave a 2 month old baby alone at all? I have three children and I smoked up until 5 years ago and I would have NEVER left my babies alone to go smoke a cigarette. I waited until my Husband or someone else was there with me for that. She directly caused the death of her infant. 12 years is not enough. She was not drunk when she made the decision to go drink in someone's apartment.

**Waiting4theEnd** · November 23rd, 2011, 11:24 PM

Another Mother of the Year...

**AngelFire** · November 24th, 2011, 12:27 AM

I wonder what her husband has to say about her not only leaving their baby son alone, but go drink with a male neighbor and his friends...She made the conscious decision to leave her infant alone, go drink, come back get baby and go get shit faced some more. No 12 years is NOT enough.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · November 24th, 2011, 09:55 AM

Her blood-alcohol level was .23 percent as of 9 a.m., Oct. 31, Nightengale said.

Holy shitfaced! Over 5 hours after she stopped drinking! Wonder what it was at 4am.
Too bad it wasn't high enough to make her dead first. I bet she's wishing it had been.

**HeatherHabilatory** · November 25th, 2011, 04:46 AM

WTF?How much do you have to drink to be that fucking drunk you don't take care of your 2 month old at all? didn't she think it would need a diaper change or food at anytime in this period she was drinking? What a whore. I bet he died crying and not one of those drunken retards noticed.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 3rd, 2012, 07:16 PM

A Garden Grove woman Thursday pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 2-month-old baby by allowing him to suffocate in a pile of clothes.

Corrina Atuatasi, 27, was sentenced at the Westminster Justice Center by Orange County Superior Court Judge Debra Carrillo to one year in jail over the objections of the prosecutor, who argued for a state prison term.

The defendant pleaded guilty to a court offer to one felony count of involuntary manslaughter by lawful act in unlawful manner, one felony count of child abuse, and a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a child under 5, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
[...]

Upon completion of a year in jail, Atuatasi is expected to be formally sentenced Nov. 27 to an additional six months in a live-in alcohol treatment program and one year of a self-help program, the release said.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Price argued Atuatasi should be sentenced to state prison based on the seriousness of the crime and the fact the defendant had endangered the lives of her children on at least one prior occasion due to her intoxication.

"If a baby sitter had engaged in the same conduct and killed this same infant, there would be no question as to the appropriate sentence," Price said. "The baby sitter would likely be sentenced to state prison. This defendant was given a break today because the victim was her own child."
[...]

http://www.ocregister.com/news/atuat...osecutors.html