In early May of this year, patrol officers responded to a deceased 7-year-old female at Arnold Palmer Hospital, who was initially brought there by the child’s mother for having trouble breathing and severe swelling of the legs. OPD Homicide investigators took over the case to determine if a criminal act led to this child’s death. They interviewed witnesses and worked with the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office, and specifically the Assistant Medical Director for Child Protection Team, Dr. Kessler, who was crucial to the investigation, to determine the child sustained serious injury because of a suspected fall, but medical treatment was not sought for a considerable length of time, unfortunately too late.
Two days ago, detectives were able to establish probable cause for the crime of Aggravated Manslaughter and obtained a warrant for victim’s mother, Viviana Riog Caballero, who was arrested today.
