Woman Who Killed Baby Will Avoid Jail
A former UC Santa Cruz student who admitted killing her baby in 1996 has had her sentence commuted by a judge. The action by Superior Court Judge Art Danner means Joanne De la Cruz won’t spend time in jail.
De la Cruz, 26, was supposed to start a six-month jail sentence Friday. This year, she pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter for smothering her newborn in a dorm room and dumping it in a trash bin.
Instead of jail, De la Cruz will be confined to her parents’ home in San Leandro, being allowed out to go to work, see her therapist and come to Santa Cruz County to perform 500 hours of community service.
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