Mom charged with murder for allegedly drowning 7-year-old daughter: DA

Graciela Castellanos, a 37-year-old mother from Van Nuys, California, has been charged with murder for allegedly drowning her 7-year-old daughter on April 11, 2025. According to prosecutors, the child was heard screaming for her mother before first responders pronounced her dead at the scene. Castellanos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to return to court on June 17, with the Los Angeles County District Attorney describing the incident as “profoundly tragic and deeply unsettling.”