The cousin of Lorna Valle, the mother who allegedly tried to drown her two daughters in the bathtub of a converted garage in South Los Angeles yesterday, says she was denied treatment at a hospital because she was an illegal immigrant.

Valle's one-year-old daughter passed away en route to the hospital; her five-year-old is still listed in “grave” condition at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Speaking to KTLA, Luis Padillas said his cousin, who is originally from Guatemala, was severely depressed and wanted to go home. Valle sought help from a local hospital, but “the hospital didn't want to treat her because we didn't have papers,” he told the station's reporter in Spanish. Padillas said the family is seeking a lawyer to file a negligence suit against the hospital.

Video after the jump.

 

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