A 21-year-old Centralia woman accused of attempting to drown her 6-year-old son in a bathtub in the 2800 block of Russell Road pleaded not guilty Thursday to first-degree assault of a child in Lewis County Superior Court.
Mercedes Kimberly Joanna Lopez remains in custody, held on $100,000 bail since her May 19 arrest. She is tentatively scheduled to go to trial July 18.
According to court records, police were called to Providence Centralia Hospital May 19 in reference to an assault. A woman who identified herself as the 6-year-old boy’s grandmother said Lopez “became enraged” when she realized the boy had cut his sister’s hair and began screaming that he had ruined his sister’s “beautiful black hair.”
The grandmother said Lopez hit the boy in the back about two or three times and then grabbed his head and held it underwater for several seconds before the grandmother could wrestle him away while enduring scratches, according to court records.
When police questioned the boy he stated “mom tried to drown me” because he cut his sister’s hair and that he could not breathe before his grandmother rescued him, according to court records.
Lopez admitted to police in a taped interview that she has an anger problem but said her son may have “slipped” into the tub — she couldn’t remember because she was angry, according to court records.
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Adam Pearson: (360) 807-8208
