Riverside High teacher found guilty in baby death

Riverside High School teacher Wakesha Ives was was found guilty Friday of Criminal Negligent Homicide for leaving her baby in a hot car in 2013. She was found not guilty of a second charge – injury to a child by omission.

The jury of 8 women and 4 men was sequestered by judge Patrick Garcia
overnight at a nearby hotel when they could not reach agreement yesterday.

In closing arguments, the prosecution made thecase that forgetfulness was not a reason for the teacher to evade punishment.

The defense argued Ives truly did not knowthe child was in the car, calling it a “perfect storm.” Theylaid out a scenario in which Ives’ husband put the baby in the car without her knowledge, and she rushed to work, with a silent, sleeping baby in the back seat.

Ives faces up to two years in prison.