A Turlock woman accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter by drowning pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in Stanislaus County Superior Court. Judge Kellee Westbrook set bail at $2 million, declining a request from prosecutors to hold the defendant without bail.
Kelle Anne Brassart, 44, appeared in court wearing an orange-and-white jail jumpsuit and handcuffs. She was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair and remained mostly quiet during the hearing. As deputies escorted her out, she addressed relatives of her daughter with an expletive, prompting murmurs from those present.
Deputy District Attorney Sara Sousa requested that Brassart be held without bail due to what she described as “an egregious” pattern of neglect and a previous child-abuse conviction. “We felt strongly that there should be a case of no bail,” Sousa said to The Bee. “However, $2 million is a significant amount, and we recognize and understand the court’s position. We are disappointed that we did not get no bail.”
Sousa stated that home-security video showed Brassart’s daughter walking alone near the backyard pool at 2:59 p.m. on September 12 while playing with the family dog. The toddler entered the pool at 3:08 p.m., attempted to climb out, and stopped moving by 3:18 p.m., according to Sousa. Brassart called 911 at 3:28 p.m., after first contacting the child’s father.
Turlock police arrived shortly after but were unable to revive the child. An autopsy found that drowning and hypothermia caused her death.
Police reported signs of impairment in Brassart following the incident. A preliminary alcohol screening conducted about three hours later showed her blood-alcohol level was 0.17%. A California Highway Patrol drug-recognition expert determined she was under the influence of both alcohol and a central-nervous-system stimulant, according to Sousa.
Investigators found prescription medications in Brassart’s home and said she could move around unaided despite claiming she needed a wheelchair and could not rescue her daughter.
Brassart is currently on misdemeanor probation for a 2023 child-abuse conviction involving striking her then-8-year-old son with a mini-blind rod, based on court records. Prosecutors cited prior probation violations, earlier CPS investigations, and an incident where Brassart allegedly threw a metal tumbler near her now-deceased daughter when she was an infant being held by her father.
Judge Westbrook scheduled an early case-management conference for September 22 and a preliminary hearing for September 30 at Stanislaus County Superior Court.
If convicted of murder, Brassart faces up to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 15 years. Her public defender could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
