Baby Delivered After Mother’s Slaying Dies

A premature baby who survived for more than 10 hours after being removed from the body of a woman who was shot to death died at 2:56 a.m. Wednesday after the baby’s lungs collapsed from lack of oxygen, authorities said.

The 3-pound, 9-ounce girl was taken from the body of Vickie Gerolaga, 25, who was seven months pregnant. She was shot with a 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun at 12:45 p.m. in the bedroom of her home in the 900 block of Carriage Lane in Walnut.

A premature baby of that weight has a 90% chance of survival, but the mother’s death deprived the fetus of oxygen and “took away whatever chance the baby had, basically,” said Dr. Bruce Sindel, co-director of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care nursery. The woman’s husband, Frank Gerolaga, 30, a petty officer at the U.S. Naval Station in Long Beach, was booked on suspicion of murder. Sheriff’s homicide detectives said the couple, married for four years, had been arguing since Sunday.