ZARA YAMEN - 17 months (2007) - Des Moines IA

A Des Moines woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the April 2007 death of her 5-month-old daughter.

Tresa
Rains, 24, of 2917 Grand Ave. in Des Moines, was charged in the case
after new information surfaced in recent days, Ankeny police said in a
statement.

Rains, who was formerly Tresa Yamen, is remarried
with a 17-month-old child. That child is in the custody of a
grandmother, police said. Rains is being held at the Polk County Jail
on a $500,000 bond.

On April 15, 2007, Ankeny police were called to 1105 S.E. Village
View Lane on a report of a nonresponsive infant. Noah Yamen, the father
of Zara Yamen, 5 months, made the call after the child was discovered
by her mother, Tresa Yamen.

Investigating officers found no
indication of foul play and no signs of bruising or trauma to the
infant, who was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy performed by
the Polk County medical examiner, Dr. Gregory Schmunk, identified the
cause of death as "sudden unexplained death."On Thursday, an
acquaintance of Rains notified Ankeny police about the acquaintance's
suspicions related to the cause of death. Police did not name the
acquaintance.

Detectives located Tresa Rains and brought her to
the Ankeny Police Department for questioning. During questioning, Rains
told officers that she used a pillow to suffocate her daughter,
according to the news release.

Work on the case continues, and more information is expected to be released Tuesday, police said.

Iowa mother pleads guilty in baby's death


Posted: Friday, July 9, 2010 7:25 am
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty to a child endangerment charge in the death of her 5-month-old daughter.

Tresa Rains was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Zara Yamen in April 2007 in Ankeny.

Rains pleaded guilty on Thursday. Sentencing is set for Aug. 20 in Polk County District Court.

Police called to a home on a report of a non-responsive child found the baby in her crib. No indications of foul play were found and the infant's death was deemed a "sudden unexplained death."

Rains was arrested last September after police received a tip from an acquaintance of Rains that there was more to the child's death. Authorities say she admitted to using a pillow to suffocate the baby.

Emotional Sentencing For Iowa Mother

POSTED: 11:06 am CDT August 20, 2010
UPDATED: 5:50 pm CDT August 20, 2010
DES MOINES, Iowa -- An Iowa mother was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Friday in an emotional case that brought the courtroom and the judge to tears.

Tresa Rains received the sentence after being found guilty of child endangerment. She was originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Zara.

Rains said Friday that she's sorry about her daughter's death, but would not say exactly how the 5-month-old died.

"The law mandates that you go to prison. I would also add that if I had discretion under these circumstances -- you'd still be going to prison," said Judge Joel Novak.

Family read victim impact statements to the court before the sentencing.

"I fight it, but I still imagine Zara's last few minutes of life, watching the mother that she loved methodically place that pillow over her face, perhaps feigning peek-a-boo with her, then stealing her life and her breath away," said Melanee Yamen, Zara's grandmother.

Rains, who police said admitted to suffocating her daughter at an Ankeny home in 2007, refused to say how her daughter died, even when pressed by her former father-in-law during his impact statement.

"Can you do yourself the dignity to end the lies right now? Nod your head yes if you did this? So the lies haven't stopped, have they?" said Michael Yamen, Zara's grandfather.

Rains said she's sorry to the Yamen's, but did not elaborate.

"I know you'll never understand, and despite everything I'll always see you guys as family," said Rains.

Novak addressed Rains and was overcome by emotion.

"Fortunately, very rarely do I have to sit in judgment where a child has been needlessly taken away from the people that love that child," said Novak.

Rains said she will use her time in prison to rehabilitate and become a better mother. After the death, Rains remarried and had another child
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