Woman pleads not guilty to murder in death of 4-year-old son

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A Carmel Valley woman accused of drowning her 4-year-old autistic son in their apartment bathtub pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and assault charges.

Patricia Corby, who faces 25 years to life behind bars if convicted, was ordered held on $10 million bail by San Diego County Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth.

A bail review and status conference is scheduled for Tuesday at the downtown San Diego Courthouse.

Corby, 36, flagged down a patrol sergeant driving out of a parking lot at the precinct house about 9:30 a.m. Saturday and asked for help with her son, Daniel, who was unconscious and not breathing in her car, said San Diego police Lt. Ernie Herbert.

Daniel Corby, who turned 4 last week, was pronounced dead by medics near a San Diego police substation on El Camino Real in Carmel Valley about 30 minutes later.

After questioning Corby, detectives arrested her on suspicion of murdering the child.

An autopsy was conducted, but a cause-of-death ruling was on hold pending completion of further postmortem tests, the medical examiner reported.

Police disclosed no suspected motive for the crime, which occurred in the 4600 block of Torrey Circle in the Torrey Hills area of Carmel Valley. The boy's father was at work at the time of his son's death, Herbert said.

A neighbor said Patricia Corby was a stay-at-home mom who was attentive to the needs of her son, who had some form of autism.