June Plea Hearing Scheduled for Gutierrez

The Merrimack mother accused of negligent homicide in the drowning death of her 8-month-old child may have struck a deal with prosecutors, thereby avoiding trial, but the attorneys in the case have agreed not to discuss the deal, according to a story in the Nashua Telegraph.

Melissa Gutierrez was charged with negligent homicide, reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child after her infant son Christian Ntapalis drowned in the bathtub at her Wilson Hill Road home. Gutierrez allegedly left Ntapalis alone in the tub with his 2-year-old half brother for an extended period of time on Aug. 25, 2011.

According to the Telegraph, Hillsborough County Superior Court documents show a plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 17. Two other documents, filed in late March, have been sealed.

Gutierrez was initially out on bail following her son's death, but her bail was revoked in October after a judge decided there was probable cause that she had violated the terms of her bail after being arrested twice in a week. She had been under house arrest since April following an arrest for allegedly shoplifting from Lord & Taylor at the Mall at Rockingham Park.