Liliana Carrillo became the focus of a major criminal investigation on April 10, 2021, after her three young children were found dead inside an apartment in Reseda, Los Angeles. The victims were identified as 3-year-old Joanna, 2-year-old Terry and 5-month-old Sierra Denton Carrillo. Their grandmother discovered their bodies at the family's apartment in the 8000 block of Reseda Boulevard. Carrillo, then 30, was arrested later that day in Tulare County after allegedly stealing a pickup truck during her flight from Los Angeles. Investigators subsequently uncovered a bitter custody dispute, troubling social media posts and evidence of serious psychological problems. On October 17, 2024, a judge found her not guilty by reason of insanity in the children's deaths and ordered her commitment for psychiatric treatment. Meanwhile, their father, Erik Denton, continues pursuing a wrongful-death lawsuit against Los Angeles authorities, with significant legal developments emerging in 2026.
Who Is Liliana Carrillo?
Liliana Carrillo is a California woman whose name became widely known following the deaths of her three children in Reseda in April 2021.
She was 30 years old when authorities arrested her in connection with the killings. Before the incident, she had been involved in a prolonged custody dispute with the children's father, Erik Denton.
Family members and court records later described concerns about her deteriorating mental health, including depression, paranoia and increasingly delusional beliefs.
Her case attracted national attention not only because of the children's ages but also because of questions about whether law enforcement and child welfare agencies had responded adequately to warnings about the family's situation.
Who Were Liliana Carrillo's Three Children?
Carrillo had three children with Erik Denton. All were younger than four years old when they died.
- Joanna Denton Carrillo: The eldest child, aged 3.
- Terry Denton Carrillo: The second child, aged 2.
- Sierra Denton Carrillo: The youngest child, aged 5 months.
Their identities and ages were confirmed during the Los Angeles County investigation and subsequent court proceedings.
The children were living with their mother in Los Angeles while their parents were involved in a custody dispute concerning their care and safety.
Three Children Found Dead at a Reseda Apartment
The tragedy unfolded on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at an apartment building in the 8000 block of Reseda Boulevard in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., officers from the Los Angeles Police Department's West Valley Division responded to a report of a possible death inside an apartment.
When authorities entered the residence, they discovered three young children who had died. Los Angeles Fire Department personnel subsequently pronounced them dead at the scene.
Their grandmother had discovered the bodies after returning to the apartment from work. She contacted emergency services after finding the children.
Initial news reports described the incident as a possible stabbing. However, subsequent medical examinations and testimony established that drowning was the cause of death for all three children.
There was an additional detail concerning the youngest victim. Sierra had also sustained a stab wound to her chest that penetrated her left lung, according to testimony from the deputy medical examiner during a 2023 preliminary hearing.
The distinction between the initial reports and the later medical findings is important. The deaths were caused by drowning, although Sierra also had a separate serious stab injury.
News of the children's deaths devastated the local community. Residents gathered outside the apartment building to leave flowers, candles, toys and messages in their memory.
How Was Liliana Carrillo Identified as the Suspect?
Following the discovery, investigators identified Carrillo as the primary suspect. She was the children's mother and was reportedly no longer at the apartment.
Police began searching for her and circulated information about her possible location and vehicle.
Investigators subsequently learned that she had traveled away from Los Angeles and was suspected of taking a pickup truck near Bakersfield.
Her disappearance and the circumstances surrounding the vehicle theft led to a separate law enforcement operation in Central California.
Liliana Carrillo's Arrest in Tulare County
On April 10, 2021, Carrillo was located in the Ponderosa area of Tulare County, approximately 200 miles from Los Angeles.
Authorities had been searching for her following the discovery of the children's bodies and reports that she had taken a vehicle during her escape.
She was taken into custody after officers located the pickup truck and pursued her in the area.
Police subsequently confirmed that Carrillo was being held in connection with the deaths of her three children.
The alleged vehicle theft also resulted in separate criminal proceedings in Kern County, distinct from the Los Angeles murder case.
The Custody Dispute Between Liliana Carrillo and Erik Denton
One of the most important aspects of the investigation was the prolonged custody dispute between Carrillo and the children's father, Erik Denton.
According to court records and subsequent reporting, Denton had become increasingly concerned about Carrillo's mental health and the safety of their children.
In early March 2021, he sought emergency custody through proceedings in Tulare County.
He reportedly believed that Carrillo's psychological condition was deteriorating and that the children needed to be placed in his care.
Carrillo also pursued legal protection against Denton. On March 12, 2021, she requested a temporary domestic violence restraining order in Los Angeles County.
The competing legal actions reflected the increasingly hostile relationship between the parents and their disagreement over the children's living arrangements.
Denton and relatives later said they had repeatedly contacted authorities about concerns involving Carrillo's behavior.
Those earlier warnings became a central issue in the subsequent wrongful-death lawsuit against the City and County of Los Angeles.
What Did Liliana Carrillo Post on Social Media?
Carrillo's social media activity became part of the investigation into her mental health and behavior before the children's deaths.
Historical reporting focused primarily on her Facebook posts, which showed increasing emotional distress and unusual beliefs in the months leading up to April 2021.
She wrote about depression, difficulties with motherhood and frustration with her personal circumstances.
Some posts also contained increasingly extreme claims involving alleged child abuse and trafficking.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed her online activity alongside court records and interviews with people familiar with the family.
Reports also identified an Instagram account historically associated with Carrillo, but its present ownership and activity have not been independently established.
For that reason, the old Instagram references should be treated as historical material rather than confirmation of an active public profile.
The Lengthy Manifesto Sent Before the Children's Deaths
Another significant element of the investigation was a lengthy document Carrillo sent to authorities and media organizations during the early hours of April 10, 2021.
The document reportedly contained more than 100 pages of written material, photographs, screenshots, medical records and annotated court documents.
In it, Carrillo discussed her mental health, her relationship with Denton and her fears about alleged child abuse and human trafficking.
She also referred to postpartum depression and expressed frustration that she believed authorities were ignoring her concerns.
Some sections included claims about a supposed child-trafficking operation in Porterville, California.
Investigators later examined the document as part of their efforts to understand her psychological condition and the events preceding the deaths.
The existence of the document established that Carrillo had communicated serious concerns and unusual beliefs before the killings. However, the specific trafficking allegations were not substantiated by verified evidence.
What Did Liliana Carrillo Say About the Children's Deaths?
Following her arrest, Carrillo gave a televised jailhouse interview to KGET-TV in which she admitted drowning her three children.
She described believing that the children were at risk of sexual abuse and claimed that she had acted to prevent them from suffering.
Her statements were deeply disturbing and became part of the public discussion surrounding the case.
However, investigators did not establish evidence supporting her allegations that the children were involved in a trafficking or abuse operation.
Her statements were later considered alongside psychiatric evaluations during the criminal proceedings.
Was Liliana Carrillo Suffering From Mental Illness?
Mental health became the central issue in determining Carrillo's criminal responsibility.
Records and investigative reporting described a history of depression, postpartum mental health difficulties, paranoia and increasingly delusional beliefs.
Her former partner and other relatives had reportedly expressed concerns about changes in her behavior before April 2021.
Psychiatric examinations later assessed whether Carrillo understood the nature and wrongfulness of her actions when the children died.
Three doctors evaluated her mental condition, and their findings became central to the court's eventual decision.
In September 2026, a civil court also addressed access to two psychologists' written reports concerning Carrillo. The judge allowed attorneys representing the children's father to obtain the reports but refused access to the psychologists' audio and video recordings.
The distinction reflected the different confidentiality rules applying to written reports disclosed in the criminal proceedings and recordings that had remained within the protected professional relationship.
What Happened in Liliana Carrillo's Criminal Trial?
After her arrest, Carrillo faced three murder charges relating to the deaths of Joanna, Terry and Sierra.
She initially pleaded not guilty to all three charges in June 2022.
In August 2023, a judge ordered her to stand trial after a preliminary hearing found sufficient evidence for the prosecution to proceed.
However, the case ultimately centered on her mental condition at the time of the killings.
On October 17, 2024, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard S. Kemalyan found Carrillo not guilty by reason of insanity.
The ruling followed psychiatric evaluations by three doctors and an agreement between the prosecution and defense concerning the insanity finding.
This was not an ordinary acquittal based on a conclusion that the deaths had not occurred or that Carrillo had not committed the acts.
Instead, the court determined that she met California's legal standard for insanity at the time of the killings.
She was subsequently committed to the California Department of State Hospitals for psychiatric treatment rather than released into the community.
Where Is Liliana Carrillo Now?
As of November 2026, Carrillo remains in a California state psychiatric hospital receiving treatment following the October 2024 ruling.
Her commitment is governed by the legal procedures applicable to people found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Her placement is subject to psychiatric evaluation and judicial oversight rather than being equivalent to an ordinary prison sentence.
Her condition and treatment progress are also relevant to the separate civil proceedings brought by the children's father.
Erik Denton's Wrongful-Death Lawsuit Against Los Angeles
After the children's deaths, Erik Denton filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County in April 2022.
The lawsuit alleged that police officers and county social workers failed to respond adequately to repeated warnings about Carrillo's deteriorating mental health and the potential danger to the children.
Denton argued that authorities had been informed about concerns involving Carrillo but failed to investigate and share relevant information between agencies.
The defendants disputed liability, arguing that the allegations did not establish a legally sufficient basis for holding the public agencies responsible for the deaths.
The lawsuit seeks to establish whether the authorities' actions or alleged failures contributed to the tragedy.
It is a civil case concerning government responsibility, separate from the criminal proceedings against Carrillo.
Latest Developments in the Lawsuit in 2026
The civil proceedings continued to develop throughout 2026.
On June 1, 2026, the court addressed Denton's request to amend his complaint, seeking to refine the allegations against the city and county concerning their responsibilities under California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act.
On September 14, 2026, Judge Jared D. Moses ruled that Denton's attorneys could obtain written reports prepared by two psychologists who evaluated Carrillo.
However, the judge denied access to audio and video recordings of their interviews because those recordings had not been disclosed outside the protected professional relationship in the criminal case.
The dispute continued in October when the City of Los Angeles asked the court to dismiss the claims against it.
In court papers filed on October 22, city attorneys argued that Denton could not establish the required legal breach or prove that any alleged failure by city employees was the proximate cause of the children's deaths.
Los Angeles County also filed its own request seeking dismissal.
As of November 15, 2026, neither dismissal request had been resolved. A hearing on the city's motion was scheduled for February 11, 2027.
The lawsuit therefore remains an active legal dispute, and the allegations against the public agencies have not been established as final court findings.
The Lasting Impact of the Reseda Tragedy
The deaths of Joanna, Terry and Sierra raised difficult questions about family violence, postpartum mental health, custody disputes and the responsibilities of law enforcement and child welfare agencies.
The case also demonstrated the importance of taking credible concerns about child safety seriously while ensuring that mental health problems receive appropriate professional attention.
The October 2024 ruling established Carrillo's legal insanity at the time of the killings, while the subsequent civil lawsuit has focused on whether public agencies could have done more before the tragedy occurred.
For the children's father and extended family, the legal proceedings represent an ongoing effort to understand what happened and whether the warnings preceding April 10, 2021, should have prompted a different response.
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