Merced County mother, accused of murdering 3 kids, being evaluated at psychiatric facility

A 30-year-old Le Grand mother who’s accused of killing her three children has been booked into the Merced County jail.

Patricia Ortiz is expected to be charged with three counts of homicide for the deaths of Anna Ortiz Lara, 8, Matteo Ortiz Lara, 5, and Alexa Ortiz Lara, 3. The bodies of the children were found Wednesday afternoon inside an apartment at 13145 Brice Street.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for the children’s funeral expenses.

Deputy Daryl Allen of the Merced County Sheriff’s Office said although Ortiz was booked into the jail Thursday afternoon, she was taken to Marie Green Psychiatric Center afterward for a mental health evaluation. Thus, no jail booking photo of Ortiz was available Thursday afternoon.

Allen said during a Thursday press conference Ortiz had been treated at a local hospital for wounds that were self-inflicted.

“She killed her three children and then she attempted to commit suicide,” Allen said. “Everything is still under investigation and we are still attempting to obtain statements from the witnesses.”

Some neighbors at the complex told the Sun-Star that Ortiz had severe depression, and was encouraged by many people to seek help.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the apartment complex Wednesday, where Ortiz and her family lived. Multiple neighbors called 911, and some told the Sun-Star she had cut her wrists.

So far, deputies have not determined a motive or cause of death for the three children.

Allen said the news is shocking for Le Grand, which has a population of roughly 1,600 people. “Everybody knows everybody in that town,” Allen said. “This is devastating to the town. This is devastating to the schools.”

“Not too many crimes happen in Le Grand,” he added. “So this is something that is a big deal for that little town. This is something that people are going to be discussing and talking about and dealing with for a long time.”

The Le Grand Elementary School District, where the older two children went to school, released a statement Thursday morning to families of other students at Le Grand Elementary School. School officials said they are aware of the situation and that district officials are “heartbroken.”

Merced County superintendent of schools Steve Tietjen also released a statement on the children’s deaths.

“As a parent and grandparent, it’s difficult to make sense of a tragedy of this magnitude. I know that Le Grand is a strong and resilient community, and we will work together to process this tragedy and support (the Le Grand) school, district, and families,” Tietjen said.

This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 4:48 PM.