A mother and a grandmother of a 5-year-old child who died last week were behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death.
Sheriff’s investigators searched a residence in the 51500 block of Date Street at 7 p.m. Tuesday, where they arrested the deceased child’s mother, Vanessa Cervantes Rangel, 37, according to Sgt. Ben Ramirez with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Ramirez said the child’s grandmother, 55-year-old Hilaria Rangel, was identified as a second suspect and arrested at a separate location in Coachella.
They were both being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on $1 million bail.
Deputies from the department’s Thermal station responded to the 50400 block of South Kenmore Street at about 7:50 p.m. last Thursday to administer medical aid, Ramirez said.
They were directed to a 5-year-old child who was not breathing, according to Ramirez. Despite efforts from the deputies and Cal Fire medics who performed lifesaving measures, the child died at the scene.
The investigation was ongoing and anyone with information was asked to call Investigator Lopez from the Thermal station at 760-863-8990 or Investigator Alfaro with the Central Homicide Unit at 760-393-3528.