Mother’s Hearing Is Postponed

A Simi Valley mother accused of causing the deaths of her two young sons by leaving them in the back seat of a sweltering minivan appeared in court Wednesday but did not answer criminal charges.

Marlene Therese Heath, 39, declined to enter a plea after her attorney told the judge he needs more time to review police reports.

“It’s really too early,” defense lawyer Louis “Chuck” Samonsky said after a hearing in Ventura County Superior Court.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Susan Aramesh Ruggles did not oppose the request, acknowledging that additional reports are coming in almost daily. The arraignment was postponed to Oct. 10.

Heath, a customer service worker for Kinko’s Copies, faces two counts of felony child endangerment and allegations that she caused serious injury and death to her sons, ages 3 and 13 months.

According to police, Heath left with her sons on Aug. 4 to attend a company picnic in Ventura, but returned home for unknown reasons. Police say she parked the family van in the driveway and went inside the house, where she fell asleep about 2:30 p.m. She did not return outside until after 6 p.m.

The boys were strapped into child-safety seats behind the tinted, rolled-up windows of the Dodge van, police said. The outside temperature at the time was about 90 degrees. Three-year-old Jake and 13-month-old Dylan died of heat exhaustion.

Police have said Heath may have been under the influence of alcohol. A blood sample was taken at Simi Valley Hospital before she was booked into Ventura County Jail. She is free on $50,000 bail.

Ruggles would not disclose the results of the blood-alcohol test, but said the evidence would probably come out at a preliminary hearing.

If convicted of all counts, Heath faces up to 12 years in state prison.

She left the Ventura courthouse Wednesday surrounded by more than a dozen friends and relatives.