New Plea Sought in Infant’s Death

A Simi Valley father who pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder for shaking his infant son to death is now attempting to withdraw the plea.

Brian Trelatsky, 26, appeared in Ventura County Superior Court on Monday for a sentencing hearing, accompanied by a new defense attorney. But he asked instead to reverse his plea. He did not give a reason.

Judge Ken Riley postponed sentencing and gave Trelatsky three weeks to put his request in writing.

Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Dee Corona said she will oppose a change of plea, saying Trelatsky knew what he was doing when he pleaded guilty.

“There is no basis for the plea withdrawal in this case,” Corona said after the hearing.

Marina del Rey attorney E.J. Montanez, who took over Trelatsky’s defense from a public defender, declined to comment.

Corona said the defense must show that the plea was made under duress or demonstrate that Trelatsky didn’t understand what he was doing. That will be tough to prove, she said, because Trelatsky agreed in writing that there was a factual basis for the plea and that he was not coerced.

Trelatsky faces a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life in prison for killing his 10-week-old son, Tyler.

A stay-at-home father, Trelatsky was the primary caregiver for the infant and an older son, Scottie, now 3.

On March 28, 2000, firefighters and police responded to a 911 call of a baby not breathing and found Tyler in cardiac arrest at the family’s mobile home.

Tyler was taken to Simi Valley Hospital for initial treatment, then transferred to the pediatric intensive-care unit at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where doctors determined that he had symptoms consistent with shaken-baby syndrome. The child died the next day.

Trelatsky was arrested six months later and charged with child abuse causing death, which carries a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

Prosecutors reduced the charge to second-degree murder after Trelatsky offered to plead guilty to the lesser charge, Corona said.

She said Monday that she will try to prosecute Trelatsky on the original abuse charges if the guilty plea is withdrawn and the case goes to trial.

A hearing on the plea issue is set for March 12.

Trelatsky remains in jail in lieu of $278,500 bail.