San Diego prosecutors added new charges Tuesday against the adoptive family members accused in the Arabella McCormack child-abuse death case.
The 11-year-old girl was rushed to hospital in August 2022 suffering from severe malnutrition. Doctors couldn’t save her.
Arabella's adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, adoptive grandmother Adella Tom and adoptive grandfather Stanley Tom physically abused Arabella and her two younger sisters with paddles and sticks, deprived them of food and water, isolated them in their rooms, denied them access to bathrooms and forced them to participate in rigorous exercises, according to prosecutors
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
All three faced three counts each of child abuse and torture. Until Tuesday, however, only Leticia McCormack and her father faced a charge of murder. Now, 71-year-old Adella also faces a murder charge.
Deputy District Attorney Meredith Pro also announced Tuesday that all three will face a new charge of conspiracy to commit child torture. The trio were arraigned on the new charges Tuesday, and all pleaded not guilty.
In a previous hearing, prosecutors explained that Adella Tom didn’t face a murder charge because she wasn’t present during the child abuse and torture in the two weeks leading up to Arabella’s death. On Tuesday, however, Pro revealed that Adella Tom stayed in contact with Stanley Tom and Leticia McCormack over text message, helping to coordinate child abuse while she was away.
In one cited example that occurred five days before Arabella’s death, Pro said Adella learned that Arabella had a bloody nose while she was lying in bed. Pro said Adella made the comment that “He should just let her lay there and bleed because Arabella just wanted attention.”
Pro also revealed evidence of a recording that she said shows Adella and Stanley forcing Arabella to exercise. The prosecutor said it revealed Adella’s mindset and callousness toward the 11-year-old.
“Arabella can be heard crying in the video while Mrs. Tom mocks her — the fact that she doesn’t get to eat food or get food until she does her exercises,” Pro said.
Prosecutors said Arabella weighed just 48 pounds at the time of her death, less than her weight at age 5. Arabella was covered in bruises and had at least 15 separate bone fractures, according to Pro. Arabella's two younger sisters survived but were hospitalized for three weeks. They are now in the care of a new foster family.
Adella was also previously eligible to bail out of jail on $100,000 bond. However, with the new murder charge, prosecutors asked the judge to remove the possibility of bail entirely. Judge Kathleen Lewis agreed. Now, all three suspects are being held without bail while they await trial.
One individual not facing charges is Brian McCormack, the adoptive father. He took his own life outside the family’s Spring Valley home hours after Arabella died. Prosecutors say he also participated in the crimes and would be charged if he was alive.
Leticia McCormack was a former elder and administrator for the Rock Church. Her mother and father have both served as volunteers with the San Diego Police Department since 2015.
The case also appears headed for another delay. The alternative public defender assigned to Adella is leaving the case, and another public defender will be assigned. A preliminary hearing scheduled for the end of the month was changed to a status hearing, and all future court dates have been put on hold since that new attorney will likely need time to familiarize themselves with the complex case.
