The Valley Chronicle - Mother faces willful child cruelty and murder c

Ultimately, Judge Alfonso Fernandez denied the motion to reduce Green’s bail from the set amount of $1.86 million

[caption id="attachment_3508" align="alignright" width="432"] Photo source: Facebook
Kristen Lauer has been charged with willful child cruelty and murder in the death of her 5-month-old daughter, Armani Green, who was not secured in a child safety restraint at the time of her death.[/caption] ■ By Melissa Diaz Hernandez / Reporter One year after the death of 5-month-old Armani Green, willful child cruelty and murder charges have been filed against her mother, Kristen Lauer. Marcus Green, Armani’s father, was driving a two-seat Porsche on State Route 74 with Lauer and the baby when the car went through a barrier and down a 200-foot cliff on May 1, 2016. Allegedly, the baby was not restrained in a car seat when the accident occurred. Green was arrested by the California Highway Patrol three days later. Lauer, now 23, has been in Sacramento with family. Her attorney, John Patrick Dolan, will be petitioning the judge for leniency next week so she can post bail without returning to Coachella Valley because she’s recovering from the accident and has been undergoing surgeries. In June 2016, 52-year-old Green attempted to reduce his bail amount. Green’s attorney, David Greenberg, had presented the judge with multiple statements and four witnesses to attest to Green’s character. Ultimately, Judge Alfonso Fernandez denied the motion to reduce Green’s bail from the set amount of $1.86 million. Green had been released from prison four years prior to the accident. According to the Inmate Information System, Green has multiple prior cases to the current open case with a charge of PC 187, murder. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 26 at 8:30 a.m. in the Larson Justice Center in Indio. Prior to the incident, Lauer had been known for her volleyball coaching and career at Desert Christian Academy and later played for the College of the Desert. In September 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 53 by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) helping to ensure that parents do not place their children in forward-facing car seats too soon. This bill “requires a parent, legal guardian, or the driver of a motor vehicle to properly secure a child who is under 2 years of age in an appropriate rear-facing child passenger restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches in height. Because a violation of these requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.” [caption id="attachment_3507" align="alignleft" width="239"] Photo source: GoFundMe.com
Infant Armani Green died in a tragic accident on May 1, 2016. Both parents have now been charged in her death.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3509" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo source: GoFundMe.com
Marcus Green was charged with murder in the death of his 5-month-old daughter, Armani Green.[/caption]