Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Carmen Degregg had recently graduated from College. After the incident, she drove to UCLA where she told a campus police officer that she had harmed her child.
The Charlie Apartments in Santa Monica, where the family had lived.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. - January 15, 2026 - A 24-year-old Santa Monica woman faces murder charges in the death of her young daughter, following an incident that authorities described as involving extreme violence. Carmen Anita Degregg, who was arrested after confessing to harming the child, appeared in court last week where her arraignment was postponed, highlighting the ongoing investigation into the heartbreaking case.
The events unfolded on January 6, 2026, around noon, when Santa Monica police officers responded to reports of a child in distress at the "Charlie" apartment complex in the 2200 block of Broadway. Upon arrival, officers discovered Degregg's 17-month-old daughter suffering from significant injuries. Paramedics rushed the toddler to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead despite medical efforts.
According to police reports, Degregg had left the apartment earlier that day and drove to the UCLA campus, where she has no known affiliation as a student or employee. There, she approached a campus police officer and made statements indicating she had harmed her child and abandoned her in the apartment. Authorities arrested Degregg without incident, and she was initially booked into the Santa Monica Jail.
Investigators from the Santa Monica Police Department's Special Investigations unit quickly gathered evidence at the scene. Sources familiar with the case indicated that the child's injuries involved a frying pan, though official details on the nature of the wounds have not been publicly disclosed pending the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's determination of the cause and manner of death. The child's father was briefly questioned by detectives but was released without charges.
On January 8, 2026, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed formal charges against Degregg in case number 26CJCF00125. She is accused of one count of murder and one count of felony assault on a child under the age of eight causing death. If convicted as charged, Degregg could face a sentence of up to 25 years to life in state prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman addressed the severity of the allegations in a statement: "The allegations in this case describe extreme violence against a child who was entirely vulnerable and unable to protect herself. When a parent is accused of causing a child's death, our office has a duty to act decisively and to seek the maximum accountability permitted by law." The prosecution is being handled by Deputy District Attorney MacKenzie Teymouri of the Family Violence Division's Complex Child Abuse Section.
Degregg made her initial court appearance on January 9, 2026, in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles. During the hearing, she was seen wearing an anti-suicide smock, a precautionary measure often used in cases involving potential self-harm risks. Her arraignment, where she would enter a plea, was postponed and rescheduled for February 19, 2026. The court ordered her to remain in custody in lieu of $2 million bail.
Neighbors in the apartment complex, where Degregg had reportedly moved in just a few months prior, described hearing sounds of distress from the unit earlier on the day of the incident. One resident, speaking anonymously, noted a woman who appeared agitated talking inside the apartment before Degregg left around noon, seemingly driving aimlessly.
The case has drawn attention to issues of child welfare and domestic violence in the community, though authorities have emphasized that Degregg is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The Santa Monica Police Department continues to investigate, urging anyone with additional information to come forward.
As the legal process moves forward, the community mourns the loss of the young child, whose identity has not been publicly released to protect the family's privacy. Funeral arrangements, if any, have not been announced. The District Attorney's Office reiterated its commitment to pursuing justice in cases involving vulnerable victims, while the defense has yet to comment publicly on the charges.
This story will be updated as more details become available from the ongoing investigation and court proceedings.
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