A 31-year-old woman accused of killing her newborn and dumping the baby in a Perris trash bin pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder.
Brittany Suzanne Peevyhouse of Perris was arrested in October following a months-long Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation that culminated in her being charged with murder.
Peevyhouse was arraigned before Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Feb. 25 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held without bail at the nearby Robert Presley Jail.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Hamilton, Peevyhouse was identified following a nine-month homicide investigation that began immediately after the infant was discovered in the 1700 block of Goetz Road, near Ellis Avenue.
Hamilton said passers-by found the baby on the afternoon of Jan. 22, 2021 “discarded in the trash” at the location and called 911.
An autopsy revealed that the child was not stillborn but died of trauma, though the details were not disclosed.
Hamilton said the “parents” of the slain infant were both allegedly involved, but only the mother, Peevyhouse, was taken into custody. The father’s identity and possible whereabouts were not provided by authorities.
Peevyhouse has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.
If convicted, she could face 25 years to life in state prison.
