A woman in Riverside, California was charged with murder for not putting her daughter in a car seat, before a fatal car crash a year ago.
23-Year-old Kristen Lauer left the baby unrestrained in a two-seater sports car, prosecutors say.
“Lauer willfully placed Armani Green in a place of danger when she made the decision to ride in a two-seat Porsche on SR-74 without taking any precautions for the safety of the 5-month old,” court documents say.
Murder charges were filed against Lauer on Thursday and a county judge has issued a warrant for her arrest. However, she does not appear to be in custody yet.
The crash occurred on May 1, 2016, on California 74 south of Palm Desert. Lauer and her baby were riding in a Porsche, which the baby’s father was driving.
The car plowed through a barrier and fell 200 feet down a cliff. The baby was flung from the vehicle and killed.
The father, Marcus Green, 52, was also arrested and charged with murder – within a week of the crash. He has remained in jail in Indio, Calif., since then.
The father is scheduled for another court appearance on May 26.
Lauer was more seriously injured in the accident and was airlifted to a hospital. Until this week, it was unknown whether authorities planned to prosecute her at all.
Lauer has also been charged with a lesser felony – willful child cruelty.
Prior to the crash, Lauer was most widely known as a star volleyball player at Desert Christian Academy in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., She later coached at the same school and played for College of the Desert in Palm Desert.