TULARE COUNTY, California.- The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office confirmed 45-year-old Sherri Telnas, who allegedly attempted to drown her two sons Saturday morning, had tried to kill one of her sons eleven years ago in Montana.
The incident took place in Mineral County in April of 2008. Police say Telnas tried to drown her 10-month-old son in the Clark Fork River.
On Sunday, Montana Mineral County Attorney Ellen Donohue provided our station with media documents from 2008 that stated, “bad thoughts and voices” is what Telnas told police urged her to attempt to drown her baby.
From information we received, Telnas regretted what she had done, gave the baby CPR and took him to Mineral Community Hospital in Superior to treat him for water in his lungs.
From the public information documents Donohue provided, it states Telnas did face a deliberate homicide charge and underwent a mental evaluation. However, later she entered into a plea agreement for two counts of criminal endangerment due to “conflicting reports” given from the psychologist and hospital.
According to Telnas’s criminal records, she was sentenced to a Montana’s Department of Health and Human Services Commitment for mental health reasons. The public information reports showed she was released in November of 2016.
Now 11 years later, that same son is dead after Telnas allegedly drowned him in an irrigation ditch. Her other son who is 7-years-old remains in critical condition at Valley Children’s Hospital after police said Telnas attempted to drown him as well.
Telnas faces four felonies from Saturday including murder and attempted murder.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said investigators are aware of the mother’s criminal history and are working with multiple agencies to confirm all the details.
Story by Mederios Babb – Courtesy of KSEE24 Local News That Matters / CBS47 Eyewitness News
