UPDATE: Hemet woman arrested for murder in Perris case involving newborn infant dumped in trash

November 2, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

PERRIS, Calif., — Riverside County Sheriff’s officials have announced the arrest of a Hemet mother who now stands accused of dumping her newborn baby in the trash in a case that shocked and horrified area residents earlier this year in January. The newborn’s lifeless body was discovered at a trash processing center in the 1700 block of Goetz Road, near E. Ellis Avenue in Perris Friday afternoon, Jan. 22, and the gruesome discovery made international headlines at the time.

The mother accused in her child’s death, 31-year-old Brittany Suzanne Peevyhouse, was booked into custody on Oct. 29 on a sole count of first-degree murder with malice after she was arrested at her Hemet apartment on S. Lyon Street. She remains in custody where she is being held without bail.

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Deputies from the Perris Sheriff’s Station began investigating the child’s death after the infant’s body was discovered at a trash processing center in Perris. The processing center serves a number of surrounding cities and communities, including the city of Hemet.

As previously reported by RCNS, Riverside Sheriff’s Sergeant Michael Hamilton said last January that an autopsy performed by the Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office revealed the infant “was alive at birth and not a stillbirth.”

Hamilton did not specify if the baby was believed to have been alive when it was discarded in the trash or exactly when the child was discarded prior to being discovered.

Authorities have charged a Hemet woman, Brittany Peevyhouse, 31, with dumping her newborn infant in the trash. The child was later discovered deceased at a Perris trash processing facility. KESQ (First Photo), RSO booking image, (Second Photo)

News of last January’s discovery led to an Internet firestorm of anger toward the person or people responsible for the baby’s death and dumping, with countless furious area residents citing the Safely Surrendered Baby Law – also known as the Safe Haven Law or Newborn Abandonment Law – which allows a parent to “safely surrender” their unwanted newborn within three days of birth.

According to Hamilton, based on the safe-surrender law, infants can be turned over “to any employee at any hospital emergency department, most fire stations, or other designated “safe havens” in California, without the fear of arrest or prosecution, as long as the baby has not been abused or neglected.”

As their nearly year-long investigation continued, officials released several photographs showing a backpack and clothing found at the scene that they hoped would help lead to the suspect’s identification and apprehension.

Their efforts paid dividends when they were ultimately able to identify Peevyhouse.

“Investigators from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Central Homicide Unit have been working toward developing leads on the death and disposal of the infant in this case,” Hamilton said in a recent update to their ongoing investigation.

“Evidence obtained through this investigation identified the parents of the infant,” he explained.

It was not immediately clear if Peevyhouse’s husband, Anthony Joseph Renteria, is suspected in the infant’s death; however, online jail records indicate he has not been booked into jail on charges related to the matter.

Although Peevyhouse’s social media accounts indicate she has been married to Renteria for eight years and that she has five children, it was not immediately clear if one of those children she claimed was the now-deceased infant or where those children are now.

SEE RELATED: “Discarded in the trash”, more details released after infant found dead in Perris

The Sheriff’s investigation is continuing, according to Hamilton; who said, “The specifics of the case cannot be released at this time.”

Anyone with further information related to this case is urged to immediately contact Central Homicide Investigator Magana at (951) 955-2777. Callers can refer to incident file number PE210220083 and can remain anonymous.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.