Woman accused of child torture

A Rowland Heights woman charged with murder in the Nov. 2 death of her adopted daughter is back in custody because she is now accused of torturing the child.

A preliminary hearing is set today in Pomona Superior Court for Dianne Buu Lin and her husband, Perry Yu Lin. But Deputy District Attorney Craig J. Mitchell said it may be delayed because he is in trial on another case.

After the Lin baby died at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, hospital staff members contacted sheriff's homicide detectives. The 22-month-old had significant signs of abuse, Mitchell said.

Lin allegedly told deputies she dropped the child or she fell. She and her husband were later arrested and charged.

The Lins were arraigned in December and Dianne Lin was released on $1 million bail. However, Mitchell later filed a special-circumstance allegation against Dianne Lin that the baby was tortured.

The torture filing triggered a no-bail clause and Dianne Lin now faces a possible maximum term of life in prison without the chance of parole if convicted.

At the time, Dianne Lin was pregnant with a baby girl. Pomona Superior Court Judge Jack P. Hunt allowed the woman to stay out on bail until she had her daughter, who was born in March. The 37-year-old went back into custody April 1 after Hunt revoked her bail.

Her husband, 37, is charged with being an accessory after the fact and is free on $20,000 bail.

Prosecutors were concerned for the safety of the newborn given the charges against the Lins and they did not want her to be in Perry Lin's custody, Mitchell said.

"We contacted the Department of Children and Family Services and they assumed responsibility for the child,' Mitchell said. The girl is in the agency's protective custody, he said.

The Lins, who came from Taiwan, apparently adopted the girl legally from China, Mitchell said.

John Sweeney, Dianne Lin's lawyer, could not be reached for comment. He earlier declined to talk about the case.

Bill Hetherman can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2236, or by e-mail at bill.hetherman@sgvn.com