LANCASTER : Man to Stand Trial in Baby’s Killing
A Lancaster man has been ordered to stand trial on charges of sodomizing, raping and murdering his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter, authorities said Friday.
Robert Patalsky, 23, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with the murder of Brianna Lee Schmidt, with special circumstances, which could make him eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Chesley McKay.
On Thursday, Patalsky’s arraignment was set for April 9 in Lancaster Superior Court.
Investigators said the baby was left in Patalsky’s care while her mother, Renate Schmidt, 20, went shopping with Patalsky’s mother last Nov. 30. Patalsky told investigators he looked in the baby’s room and saw her vomiting and not breathing. He then ran to a neighbor’s house for help and the neighbor called 911.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
