Man Alleges LAPD Enabled His Children's Mother To Murder Them

LOS ANGELES, CA — A judge said Monday he is inclined to deny a stay requested by the city of Los Angeles of a lawsuit brought by the father of three children who were allegedly killed by their mother in 2021 in Reseda, saying the city cannot assert the Fifth Amendment rights of the accused killer.

In his Los Angeles Superior Court suit filed in April 2022 against the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, plaintiff Erik Denton alleges that LAPD officers were negligent and did not take seriously the indications that the mental health of Liliana Carrillo, the mother of the two girls and one boy, was declining, and did not share information they had with county social workers.

The city of Los Angeles filed a motion on Sept. 1 requesting that the case be put on hold pending the outcome of Carrillo's criminal case, stating that her right against self-incrimination and the integrity of the criminal proceedings were at stake. The city lawyers noted that many of the same witnesses will testify in both cases and that much of the evidence will be overlapping.

However, Judge Kerry Bensinger wrote in his tentative ruling that a city does not invoke Fifth Amendment privileges and in this case cannot do so on Carrillo's behalf.

"This ... factor weighs heavily in (Denton's) favor," the judge said.

In addition, Denton has a legitimate interest in learning about the events leading up to the "tragic loss of his children and in prosecuting his claims expeditiously," according to the judge, who noted that the plaintiff wants to obtain information regarding the implementation of the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and the role others played leading up to Carrillo's alleged murder of her children.

"Given the current posture of the criminal case, the delay here may be significant, most likely well over a year," said Bensinger, who stated that the killings occurred more than two years ago.

"Further delays risk diminished memory, loss of witnesses and records," said the judge, who is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday before issuing a final ruling. Trial of the case is scheduled July 5, 2024.

A report published by the county Office of Child Protection after the killings stated that Denton's cousin, emergency room physician Dr. Teri Miller, pleaded with officers to help and expressed concern that Carrillo might kill the children, according to a Wednesday filing by the plaintiff's attorneys.

"But her pleas fell on deaf ears," the plaintiff's lawyers state in their court papers.

Carrillo, 32, has pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court to three murder charges stemming from the April 10, 2021, killings of her 6-month- old daughter Sierra, 3-year-old daughter Joanna and 2-year-old son Terry. Carrillo allegedly drowned the victims.

The murder charge involving her youngest daughter includes an allegation that she used a knife during the commission of the crime. The child suffered a stab wound to the chest that struck her left lung, according to a deputy medical examiner.

"Central to this case is several LAPD officers' failure to meet the basic requirements of their duties as mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect," Denton's lawyers argue in their court papers.

Denton's attorneys further maintained that evidence they compiled shows the LAPD took a report of possible molestation of the children in February 2021, yet did not prepare a required suspected child abuse electronic report or notify the county Department of Children and Family Services.

A month later, LAPD officers responded to a call by Denton, who had an emergency custody order directing that Carrillo turn over custody of the children to the plaintiff, according to Denton's attorneys' court papers, which further state that the police report documents that Carrillo was possibly suffering from an unknown mental illness.

City News Service