Victoria Pendergraph, a 9-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who used a wheelchair and was non-speaking, was allegedly drowned in a bathtub by her mother, Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph, at their home in Westminster, California, on or around November 19, 2023. Victoria's body was left in the bathtub for several days. Her father, who shared custody, discovered something was wrong when he went to pick Victoria up for Thanksgiving on November 24 and found the apartment door locked with no response. He called police and also reported receiving concerning messages from his ex-wife. Officers forced entry and found the child's body with obvious signs of trauma. The mother, who was not at the home, was located and arrested at a grocery store parking lot in Aliso Viejo. She claimed to have attempted suicide on more than one occasion after the alleged drowning. Pendergraph was charged with one felony count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life if convicted.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Multiple documents explicitly state the child was drowned. The ABC7 article states the mother is "accused of drowning her 9-year-old daughter and leaving her body in a bathtub for several days." The disability memorial lists the cause of death as "Drowning."
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The ABC7 article quotes the Orange County District Attorney stating that "her mother pushed her underwater," and the child was drowned. This constitutes an inflicted injury. The NY Post article also notes the child was found with "signs of trauma."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
The ABC7 article states that Pendergraph "left the child in the bathtub for several days while the mother 'claims she attempted to commit suicide on more than one occasion.'" This indicates the mother allegedly drowned the child and then attempted suicide, suggesting an attempted murder-suicide scenario.
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All three documents identify the biological mother, Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph, as the perpetrator. The ABC7 article states she is "accused of drowning her 9-year-old daughter." The disability memorial lists "Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph (Mother), charged with murder."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
The disability memorial states "Disability: Cerebral palsy, non-speaking." The ABC7 article states "Victoria used a wheelchair and could not speak." Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition, and being non-speaking is a neurological/developmental communication disability.
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
The ABC7 article states "Victoria used a wheelchair and could not speak." The disability memorial lists her disability as "Cerebral palsy, non-speaking." Wheelchair use indicates a physical disability.
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
All three documents confirm the mother was arrested and charged. The ABC7 article states "Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph, 32, was charged with one felony count of murder Tuesday after she was arrested last week at a grocery store parking lot in Aliso Viejo." The disability memorial confirms she was "charged with murder."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The ABC7 article states that Pendergraph "claims she attempted to commit suicide on more than one occasion" after allegedly drowning the child. Suicide attempts are directly indicative of the mother's mental health status.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
The ABC7 article provides notable details about the custody arrangement and the Thanksgiving timeline: "When he attempted to pick their daughter up as scheduled on Thanksgiving, the apartment door was locked and no one answered the door." The child's body was left in the bathtub for several days before being discovered. Additionally, the DA's statement emphasized that the disabled child "could not even scream for help as her mother pushed her underwater," highlighting the particular vulnerability of the victim due to her disabilities. The mother also claimed multiple suicide attempts after the alleged drowning, suggesting a possible murder-suicide scenario that was not completed.
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