Overview
- Nina Fathizadeh entered a last-minute guilty plea to 10 felonies in Santa Clara County Superior Court, sending the case directly to sentencing with a potential 23-year prison term.
- She is scheduled to surrender next week and return in May for sentencing, which will follow a probation department recommendation and the judge’s decision.
- Police determined Fathizadeh was the only caregiver after others were unavailable and that she left children outside while she was inside cooking, leading to the deaths of Lillian Hanan and Payton Cobb as a third child survived.
- Co-defendant Shahin Gheblehshenas remains charged with felony child endangerment, with jury selection set to begin this week if her case proceeds to trial.
- A judge denied Fathizadeh’s bid for mental health diversion earlier this month, and the Happy Happy Daycare license remains suspended.