Sacramento mom convicted of murder after failing to get help for badly burned baby
A Sacramento mom has been convicted of murder after her eight-month-old daughter suffered severe burns over 30% of her body and died.
Kristina Huemann Siedlecki’s daughter, Jannah Abughazaleh, died Aug. 25, 2024, after sustaining second and third-degree burns.
Investigators found that Siedlecki failed to seek appropriate medical care out of fear of being arrested, leading to the infant’s gruesome death.
Siedlecki’s husband, Hussein Abughazaleh, placed Jannah in a bath with dangerously hot water which burned the baby, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
When the tot’s mom arrived home, she saw the infant was still in the water with red skin. Over time, the baby’s skin peeled and blistered.
Despite the visible injuries, neither parent sought medical help. Investigators said Siedlecki’s phone search history revealed she was well aware of the extent of her baby’s injuries and the danger of leaving them untreated.
She later told authorities the infant’s breathing changed and her body turned limp before becoming completely unresponsive.
“Instead of calling 911, Siedlecki went on social media while her husband contacted a friend for help nearly 45 minutes later. Siedlecki’s failure to obtain medical care resulted in the death of her child,” the DA’s Office said Monday.
The infant’s paternal grandmother, Naomi Magness, said she had contacted Child Protective Services prior to the child’s birth, concerned that the couple would be unable to keep the baby safe.
“She lost her life. She didn’t even have a chance to live a life and you [CPS] screwed up not taking the baby out,” Magness had told KCRA 3 in December 2024.
The child’s father was also arrested on murder charges in 2024. While held without bail at the Sacramento County Main Jail, Abughazaleh suffered a severe medical emergency on Jan. 26, 2025.
Doctors gave him a grave prognosis, prompting a judge to grant a compassionate release and he died out of custody just hours later.
Siedlecki faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years to life and her sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2026.
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