Roseville Mother Officially Charged In 2-Year-Old Daughter's Death
AUBURN (CBS13) – The Placer County District Attorney's Office has officially filed charges against a Roseville mother in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
Denise Marie McGrath Wilder, 37, was arrested on Friday in the death of her daughter McKinley Wilder. Monday, the DA's office officially filed charges against Wilder including cruelty to a child by abuse, neglect or endangering health, and a special allegation that she personally inflicted great bodily injury upon a child under the age of 5.
Wilder was also charged with child abuse or endangerment under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm or death in connection with the abuse and neglect of her other 5-year-old daughter.
On April 4, Roseville police and fire personnel responded to a home in the 300 block of Diamond Oaks Road for a child not breathing. The home belongs to Wilder's parents, who were out of town.
Police say Wilder was intoxicated when authorities arrived.
"Pure neglect in my mind," Diamond Oaks neighbor John Miller said. "I don't want to prejudge anyone, but it seems apparent that someone was awful neglectful."
The Placer County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy and tests determined that McKinley died due to acute alcohol toxicity and acute malnutrition.
Police say the 37-year-old was the only one caring for her daughters for several days at her parents' house back in early April. She was in the process of going through a messy divorce.
"It's a terrible tragedy is what it is," Miller said. "Young gal with her two young children, going through a divorce, you don't know what goes through people's minds."
Wilder is being held in the Placer County Jail without bail. She is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
