SAN DIEGO — A Tierrasanta mother pleaded not guilty on Monday afternoon to one count of felony child abuse. Police arrested Pricilla Harris, 24, on Thursday, Sept. 19 after authorities found her daughter dead inside a car on Aug 5.
Last month, Harris called 911 and told operators she could not find her daughter. Harris then called back minutes later and reported she had found her daughter, Scarlett, unresponsive and not breathing in her Nissan Altima. According to court documents obtained by News 8, it was 87 degrees outside. It was at least 150 degrees inside the car. A witness described seeing the baby with "slightly red and swollen" face.
According to court documents, Harris signed a consent form, allowing police to forensically analyze her iPhone and Apple watch. Police say data obtained from those two devices contradicts the story she told police during an interview.
The 911 call following Scarlett’s death revealed that Harris has a history of suicide attempts. Also, just two days after Scarlett’s death, police were called back to the home for a reported drug overdose of Harris’ cousin and her boyfriend.
Investigators are waiting on a toxicology report to see what was in the mother's system. Harris is currently being held on $1 million bail. If convicted, she could spend 12 years in prison. She's due back in court in October.
