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Mom Accused Of Microwaving Baby Appears In Court

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The case of a woman accused of killing her 6-week-old daughter by putting her in the microwave was delayed Wednesday as her attorneys await more evidence.

Prosecutors agreed to push back the hearing for Ka Yang to Aug. 26, who has not entered a plea to a charge of murder in the death of her daughter, Mirabelle.

The count includes a special circumstance that the death was intentional and involved torture, which makes the 29-year-old eligible for the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Yang, a mother of four who has been held without bail, often bowed her head during the appearance in Sacramento County Superior Court, covering her face with her long hair as she cried.

She was charged in June after authorities found the baby dead and covered in burns in the family's Sacramento home March 17. Police say the child suffered "extensive thermal injuries" but could not find a cause until a pacifier was discovered in the microwave.

Investigators say Yang told them she had been working on a computer when she blacked out with Mirabelle in her arms. She said she woke up on the ground to find Mirabelle injured next to a space heater, according to an arrest affidavit from Sacramento police Detective Thomas Shrum.

The infant's clothing and hair were not singed. According to the affidavit, Yang told them she might have a split personality when detectives asked about inconsistencies in her story.

She has a history of seizures, but paramedics said she did not appear to be disoriented when they arrived at her house, according to the affidavit.

Her attorney, Linda Parisi, has said her client might have psychological problems.

Yang's other three children, all under the age of 7, are living with relatives.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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