Couple Arrested in Girl’s Drowning

The owners of a child care center in Riverside were both high on drugs and left children unattended for at least 10 minutes near a partially covered hot tub the day a toddler drowned there, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Debra and Fernando Gonzales, who face various charges related to the girl’s death, surrendered to Riverside police Tuesday after a warrant was issued for their arrests, their attorney said.

Twenty-month-old Aryanna Sanchez drowned in a spa on March 29 at Gonzales Family Childcare on Holbrook Way. She was one of four children, the oldest of whom was 11, in the Gonzaleses’ care that day.

Blood tests taken that day showed that Debra Gonzales 30, was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana, while her husband, 29, was under the influence of marijuana, according to the arrest warrant.

“The defendants were directly responsible for the death of Aryanna,” said Assistant Dist. Atty. Carlos Monagas. “But for their actions, the little girl would be alive.”

Debra Gonzales told police that the family had used the spa the night before and had forgotten to replace the cover, the arrest warrant stated. She also acknowledged that the locking straps on the spa latches had been broken for some time, in violation of state regulations, the documents state.

Detectives learned that the day care center had been cited numerous times for violations including an uncovered, unlocked spa, non-supervision of the children and lack of adequate fencing around the spa. Court documents also cite allegations of suspected child abuse and illegal drug use.

“Debbie’s inconsolable with grief, not about being in custody but about what happened to the child,” the couple’s attorney, Warren Small, said.

According to the warrant, Fernando Gonzales told police he found Aryanna in the spa not breathing. He was the only person supervising the children, because his wife had not been feeling well and had been in their bedroom all morning, he said.

He was not certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and was allowed to work at the house only under the supervision of his wife, who is the center’s licensee, said Robert Gonzalez, a regional manager for the state’s Community Care Licensing Division.

An 11-year-old boy at the center told police he was alone in the backyard with Aryanna and a 2-year-old boy named Kristopher for about 15 minutes shortly before the accident.

He went back into the house and Aryanna and Kristopher were left alone for at least 10 minutes, he told police. Fernando Gonzales began looking for the children and found Aryanna in the spa.

Police found him trying to administer CPR.

He faces one count of child endangerment causing death and three counts of child endangerment. His wife faces those charges plus two charges of being under the influence of a controlled substance.

They each face a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted. Their attorney is trying to have their $110,000 bail reduced, he said.