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KCRA 3 Investigates: Baby killed, parents arrested on murder charges in Sacramento County

“'She lost her life, she didn't even have a chance to live a life and you screwed up not taking the baby out'

KCRA 3 Investigates: Baby killed, parents arrested on murder charges in Sacramento County

“'She lost her life, she didn't even have a chance to live a life and you screwed up not taking the baby out'

WE GET THOSE ANSWERS. AND WE HAVE THIS NOW. KCRA THREE INVESTIGATES FOR YOU TONIGHT. TWO SACRAMENTO COUNTY PARENTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF THEIR BABY GIRL. INVESTIGATORS TELL US THAT THE BABY DIED BACK IN AUGUST, BUT THE PARENTS WERE JUST ARRESTED THIS WEEK. KCRA 3’S ERIN HEFT JOINS US NOW AND WE DO WANT TO WARN YOU, THE DETAILS OF THIS ARE DIFFICULT TO HEAR. GOOD EVENING. WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS STORY FOR WEEKS NOW. SPEAKING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND INVESTIGATORS ABOUT THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT. I ACTUALLY SPOKE TO THE BABY’S GRANDMOTHER ABOUT THE SYSTEMS. SHE SAYS FAILED HER FAMILY. SHE WAS A CUTE LITTLE BABY, CHERISHED MOMENTS. HERE’S THE FIRST ONE WITH ME HOLDING HER CAPTURED IN THESE SNAPSHOTS. I HAVE TAKEN SO MANY PICTURES, THESE SECONDS IN TIME AND HERE’S WHEN I WAS KISSING HER. THE ONLY THING NOW LEFT WHEN I DID FIND OUT ABOUT THEM HAVING A BABY, I CALLED CPS, FEARFUL FOR THE SAFETY OF HER GRANDDAUGHTER EVEN BEFORE SHE WAS BORN. NAOMI MAGNUS SAYS SHE REACHED OUT FOR HELP, BUT SHE SAYS SHE WAS TOLD, OH, THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THE BABY. AND I WAS JUST LIKE, WOW. AND SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT? NOTHING HAPPENED, SHE SAYS. SHE CONTINUED TO REACH OUT TO CPS BECAUSE OF HER CONCERNS ABOUT THE BABY’S FATHER, HER SON. IF YOU GET HIM MAD, HE BLOWS UP, SHE SAYS. WITH A DISTANT RELATIONSHIP WITH HER SON AND WITH NO WORD FROM CPS, SHE CALLED AN ABUSE HOTLINE THAT CONNECTED HER TO SACRAMENTO COUNTY INVESTIGATORS. WHAT THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY CONFIRM WAS UNIMAGINABLE. SOON AS I BROUGHT UP HER NAME, THE BABY’S NAME, JENNA, THEY SAID THEY JUST HAD A PAUSE AND THEN THEY SAID, I AM REALLY SORRY JENNA HAS PASSED AWAY. EIGHT MONTH OLD JENNA HAD BEEN DEAD SINCE AUGUST. I WAS LIKE, NO, HOW DID SHE PASS AWAY? SHE CAN’T BE DEAD. YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST NOT WANTING TO BELIEVE IT. THE BABY’S FATHER, HUSSEIN ABU-GHAZALEH, AND THE BABY’S MOTHER, CHRISTINA SIEDLECKI, NOW ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH JENNA’S MURDER. ACCORDING TO THE CORONER’S OFFICE, SHE HAD BURNS, 25, TO 35% OF HER BODY. DETECTIVE LESLIE TROUT SAYS THE BABY WAS BURNED WITH BATHWATER AND DIDN’T RECEIVE THE MEDICAL TREATMENT. SHE SO BADLY NEEDED. WHAT THEY DISCLOSED TO ME DURING THE INVESTIGATION WAS THE FACT THAT THEY KNEW THAT SHE WAS DYING, AND THEY DIDN’T TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT TO GET ARRESTED, OR THEY DIDN’T WANT CPS TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR FAMILY. BUT THAT WAS WELL OVER 24 HOURS BEFORE SHE ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY. AND, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY BOTH TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE MADE CHOICES THAT THEY REGRET. AND THEY WERE NOT GOOD PARENTS. YOU BROUGHT UP HOW YOU FEEL LIKE THE SYSTEM FAILED YOU. YES. AND THEN WHEN YOU REACHED OUT AGAIN, IT WAS TOO LATE. DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE THAT TWO CPS. WHY DIDN’T YOU TAKE THE BABY OUT EXPECTING THEM TO TAKE CARE OF JENNA? I DIDN’T I DIDN’T THINK THAT THEY’D LET HER EITHER DIE. SHE SHOULD HAVE TOOK THE BABY OUT. SHE LOST HER LIFE. SHE DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO LIVE A LIFE. AND YOU, YOU SCREWED UP AND NOT TAKING THE BABY OUT. I WANT JUSTICE, AND I NEED JUSTICE FOR MYSELF. AND I NEED JUSTICE FOR ANYBODY ELSE THAT I KNOW. BECAUSE I DON’T WANT FOR ANYBODY ELSE TO GO THROUGH THIS. WE REACHED OUT TO SACRAMENTO COUNTY CPS MULTIPLE TIMES FOR COMMENT ON THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO JENNA’S DEATH. THE AGENCY SAYS DUE TO LEGAL GUIDELINES, THEY CANNOT COMMENT. YEAH, YOU CAN JUST FEEL THAT ANGUISH. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WARNING SIGNS WERE THERE. ANY UPDATE NOW ON THE PARENTS? YES. THEY’RE ACTUALLY BOTH CHARGED WITH MURDER WITH NO OPTION FOR BAIL AT THIS TIME. THEY’RE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME TOMO
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KCRA 3 Investigates: Baby killed, parents arrested on murder charges in Sacramento County

“'She lost her life, she didn't even have a chance to live a life and you screwed up not taking the baby out'

Two parents in Sacramento County are facing murder charges in connection to their infant daughter's death.The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested and booked Hussein Abughazaleh and Kristina Siedlecki into the Sacramento County Jail on Tuesday.According to Sacramento County detectives, 8-month-old Jannah Abughazaleh was found unresponsive and died Aug. 25 after sustaining second-degree and third-degree burns to 25-35% of her body.Detectives said the child’s parents described the child being burned by bath water.According to detectives, despite the child’s injuries, both parents decided not to seek professional medical attention until it was too late.“What they disclosed to me during the investigation was the fact that they knew she was dying, and they didn't take her into the hospital because they didn't want to get arrested and they didn't want CPS to get involved in their family,” Det. Leslie Trau said.KCRA 3 sat down with the grandmother of the baby, Naomi Magness.Magness is the mother of Hussein Abughazaleh.“I don’t want anybody to go through this,” Magness said.Magness said she was concerned with the baby’s safety, even prior to the child’s birth, saying she contacted CPS hoping to protect the welfare of the child.Magness said that with no word from CPS, she called an abuse hotline, which connected her to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and then the coroner’s office, confirming the child had died.Magness explained she feels the child protective services system failed her family.“You should have took the baby out. She lost her life. She didn't even have a chance to live a life and you screwed up not taking the baby out,” Magness said.Sacramento County sent us a statement saying, "Due to legal and confidentiality guidelines, we are unable to confirm, deny, or discuss any specific reports."See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

Two parents in Sacramento County are facing murder charges in connection to their infant daughter's death.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested and booked Hussein Abughazaleh and Kristina Siedlecki into the Sacramento County Jail on Tuesday.

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According to Sacramento County detectives, 8-month-old Jannah Abughazaleh was found unresponsive and died Aug. 25 after sustaining second-degree and third-degree burns to 25-35% of her body.

Detectives said the child’s parents described the child being burned by bath water.

According to detectives, despite the child’s injuries, both parents decided not to seek professional medical attention until it was too late.

“What they disclosed to me during the investigation was the fact that they knew she was dying, and they didn't take her into the hospital because they didn't want to get arrested and they didn't want CPS to get involved in their family,” Det. Leslie Trau said.

KCRA 3 sat down with the grandmother of the baby, Naomi Magness.

Magness is the mother of Hussein Abughazaleh.

“I don’t want anybody to go through this,” Magness said.

Magness said she was concerned with the baby’s safety, even prior to the child’s birth, saying she contacted CPS hoping to protect the welfare of the child.

Magness said that with no word from CPS, she called an abuse hotline, which connected her to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and then the coroner’s office, confirming the child had died.

Magness explained she feels the child protective services system failed her family.

“You should have took the baby out. She lost her life. She didn't even have a chance to live a life and you screwed up not taking the baby out,” Magness said.

Sacramento County sent us a statement saying, "Due to legal and confidentiality guidelines, we are unable to confirm, deny, or discuss any specific reports."

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter