Kapolei mother, girlfriend plead not guilty in toddler’s death
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Janae Perez, 25, left, and Ashleigh Utley, 34, stand before Judge Ronald Johnson in Circuit Court this morning for their arraignment on murder and related charges in the starvation death of Sarai Perez-Rivera, 3, in Kapolei.
COURTESY TIFFANY TEXEIRA
Sarai Perez-Rivera
COURTESY HPD
Janae Perez, left, and Ashleigh Utley
The mother of a 3-year-old girl who died of starvation and the mother’s girlfriend were arraigned this morning in Circuit Court.
The mother, Janae Perez, 25, and Ashleigh Utley, 34, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted assault, kidnapping, first-degree hindering prosecution, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and two counts of persistent nonsupport.
Judge Ronald Johnson confirmed no bail for both defendants.
Some of the charges relate to Perez’s other children, who were 6, 5 and 2 at the time of Sarai Perez-Rivera’s death on June 13.
She was found unresponsive in their Kapolei home and pronounced dead at the hospital.
