YAKIMA, Wash. – Kyleah Tolle, 20, appeared in court at the Yakima County Department of Corrections on Wednesday for her arraignment. She pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges, including first-degree manslaughter.
Tolle was arrested at a campground on February 25th after police discovered her seven-month-old baby dead and her two-year-old child malnourished during a welfare check at their home.
During the arraignment, Tolle’s attorney, Dale Becker, waived the formal reading of charges before entering a plea.
“At this point in time, we are willing to waive a formal reading of the charges. We are asking the court to enter a plea of not guilty on the charges,” Becker said.
Tolle faces five felony charges involved in this, including two counts of family abandonment and two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment. She is being held on a $20,000 bail.
“If you post bail, there’s also a requirement that you check in with pretrial services. Do that within 24 hours,” the judge instructed.
The court also issued a no-contact order between Tolle and her surviving child. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 17 in Yakima for a pretrial omnibus hearing to determine the evidence and testimony for her trial.
Tolle is also facing two additional charges involving animal cruelty within the home. Those charges will be tried in a separate case.
