VISALIA, Calif. – A central California mother accused of abandoning three newborns could face more than 22 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder and child abuse charges.
It took the Tulare County jury less than an hour Thursday to return the verdict against 24-year-old Nancy Ortiz.
Two infants were discovered alive in 2005 and 2006, and are now in foster care. A third child, found in a pickup truck bed in December 2006, died of exposure.
Jurors found her guilty of second-degree murder in the death of the third child and three felony counts of child abuse for abandoning all the babies. She also was convicted of misdemeanor child abuse, after her toddler daughter was found wandering the streets wearing only a diaper.
Ortiz will be sentenced on Dec. 9.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.