California mother convicted of murder after 2-year-old drowns while she used dating app

MODESTO, Calif. — A Northern California woman has been convicted of second-degree murder and child neglect after her 2-year-old daughter drowned while she was distracted by dating apps, authorities said.

The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced that 45-year-old Kelle Anne Brassart of Turlock was found guilty in the death of Daniellé Pires. At the time of the drowning, Brassart was already on probation for child abuse.

On Sept. 12, Brassart called 911 after finding her daughter floating in a swimming pool but failed to perform CPR. Evidence presented at trial showed that while the child was in the water, Brassart was busy calling men she had met through a dating application.

Brassart told investigators she was unable to save the child because a leg injury required her to use a wheelchair. However, prosecutors provided evidence showing she was capable of driving, walking without assistance, and visiting a nail salon.

Testing revealed Brassart had a blood alcohol level of 0.246% at the time of the incident. Investigators also discovered numerous liquor bottles hidden throughout her home.

Surveillance footage captured the toddler being left alone outside before she fell into the pool, according to authorities.

The conviction of Kelle Anne Brassart in Turlock, California, represents more than a localized tragedy; it serves as a stark case study in the intersection of substance abuse, systemic child neglect, and the tightening standards of parental accountability in the digital age. By returning a verdict of second-degree murder rather than involuntary manslaughter, the jury signaled that Brassart’s conduct transcended mere negligence. The legal threshold met here suggests "implied malice"—a determination that the defendant’s indifference to human life was so extreme it constituted a functional intent to harm.

The prosecution’s success hinged on a pattern of behavior rather than a single isolated incident. Brassart’s history of child endangerment, coupled with her documented deception regarding her own physical disabilities, stripped away the defense of accidental oversight. In the eyes of the American justice system, her actions demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of a minor that moved the case from the category of a tragic accident into the realm of high-level felony homicide.

For observers at the Saigon Sentinel, this case lacks a direct nexus to Vietnamese domestic policy or the specific geopolitical trends currently shaping the Vietnamese-American diaspora. It remains a localized criminal matter. However, its broader significance lies in its illustration of how U.S. courts are increasingly penalizing "gross negligence" when compounded by aggravating factors such as intoxication and the obstruction of justice. The ruling serves as a severe judicial warning regarding the fatal risks of unsupervised childcare—a universal social vulnerability that remains a point of concern across all demographic lines.

This story has no direct impact on the Vietnamese-American community. The detail regarding the defendant’s "nail appointments" is a minor point within the broader American social context and is insufficient to establish a specific connection to the Vietnamese-owned nail salon industry.