A mother told investigators that she drowned her 4-year-old son in a bathtub last weekend.
Patricia Corby, 36, did not want to show her face during her first court appearance on Wednesday when her bail was set at $10 million.
Investigators said that she admitted to drowning her son Daniel in a bathtub, then drove him to the police station, flagging down an officer and telling him she'd just killed her son. The officer then saw the body in a blanket in the backseat of Corby's car.
Corby was arrested Saturday night in her Torrey Hills apartment after she drove her son to the police sub-station on El Camino Real, according to a statement from the police department's homicide unit.
The child was not breathing and medics were unable to save him. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Later Saturday evening, 36-year-old Corby of Tijuana, was arrested. She has since been charged with murder and assault on a child.
Earlier this week, medical examiners released the identity of the boy, but said the investigation of his death is still pending.
Corby was a stay-at-home mom, who was learning new ways to teach her son, who had some form of autism, one neighbor said.
The neighbor added that the mother was attentive, and the boy was very quiet but loved to chase her dog.
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At the family's apartment complex Sunday night, the occupants appeared to be packing up.
Corby's husband was not in court on Wednesday and she was booked into the Las Colinas Detention Center. Investigators believe she is suicidal, which they took into consideration when setting the $10 million bail.
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