By Jenna SundelShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA New Jersey woman who was facing charges related to the 2021 killing of her five-month-old daughter was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Monday, NJ.com reported.
Kristhie I. Alcazar, a 30-year-old Penns Grove resident, told police she killed her child to "fulfill the last of her sins, murder," according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
Newsweek reached out to the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office for comment.
NJ.com previously reported that Alcazar was represented by a Salem County public defender. Newsweek reached out to the Salem County Office of the Public Defender for confirmation and comment.
Why It Matters
Alcazar had a bench trial, where the judge reached a verdict rather than a jury, NJ.com reported. Superior Court Judge Russell DePersia reviewed information about Alcazar’s mental health issues leading up to the killing.
A psychiatric evaluation found that while Alcazar knew the "nature and quality of her actions" on the day of the killing, "she did not understand that her actions were wrong," the judge said, reading from a doctor’s report, according to NJ.com.
...What To Know
Police responded to Alcazar’s residence on December 3, 2021, after receiving a 911 call with an "audible disturbance in the background."
Alcazar’s mother told officials that her daughter was having a "traumatic episode," NJ.com reported.
The mother walked upstairs and started screaming when she found the five-month-old baby dead in a bedroom, the outlet reported.
The prosecutor’s office said officials found the girl suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest. The infant’s cause of death was determined to be homicide.
Prosecutors said Alcazar admitted to stabbing the child and directed officers to a bloody knife in a bathroom sink, the outlet reported.
A Salem County grand jury indicted Alcazar in 2022 on multiple charges, including purposeful and knowing murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the outlet.
What People Are Saying
Richard Rivera, the Penns Grove police director, in comments to NJ.com in 2021: "This is a tragic loss for the family and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by this."
What Happens Next
Alcazar will be transferred from jail to the Ann Klein Forensic Center, a state psychiatric hospital in Trenton, for a psychiatric evaluation, NJ.com reported. The evaluation will determine whether she poses a danger to herself or others and whether she should remain confined.
The judge said Alcazar will remain under court-ordered supervision for life, NJ.com reported.
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