Riverside County prosecutors this week sought a judge’s approval to hire a psychologist to examine a Corona woman accused of fatally running over her 6-year-old son as he held on to the car and ran alongside after being locked out.
Melissa Ann Damron, 44, says her doctors believe she is eligible for a mental-health diversion program that could result in charges being dismissed, but the District Attorney’s Office rejected their diagnosis, according to a motion filed by Deputy District Attorney Timothy S. Brown in Superior Court on Tuesday, May 27.
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Damron’s doctors diagnosed her with major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and autism-spectrum disorder, the filing states. If the court upholds its initial ruling that Damron is eligible for the diversion program, she would receive treatment. Upon completion, charges would be dismissed and the record sealed.
“The defendant further claims that … she does not pose an unreasonable risk of danger if treated in the community,” Brown wrote. “The people disagree with the assertions of the defendant’s privately retained mental-health experts.”
The DA’s Office declined to say why it disagrees with Damron’s doctors or what result it hopes to achieve should the criminal case continue.
Judge Emma Smith is scheduled to rule on June 9, at the Riverside County Hall of Justice in Riverside, on the request to appoint Shannon J. Curry, a Newport Beach clinical and forensic psychologist.
Damron has already rejected a judge’s indicated sentence of probation if she pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and willful child cruelty, Brown wrote. It was unclear on Thursday, May 29, who was representing Damron. Court records say her attorneys recently were “relieved.”
In the filing, Brown described Damron’s actions on Aug. 22, 2023, as “outrageous.”
Damron was preparing to drive the boy, Duner, to school that morning when she locked him out of her Volvo SUV, Brown wrote, “because of her belief that Duner had been disrespectful and allegedly threw his backpack, which caused a scratch on her Volvo. As a result of his backpack-throwing offense, the defendant did not allow Duner into her car as she was driving away and advised Duner that he needed to walk to school.
“Ring surveillance videos capture Duner pleading to be let back into the car and running next to the car as the defendant drives out of her cul-de-sac,” Brown continued. “Duner, still attempting to get back into the car, was hanging onto her door handle as the defendant continued driving down the street. Duner lost his grip on the door handle and fell; the defendant continued driving and when Duner fell, she drove over him, killing him.”
Corona police arrested Damron after a two-week investigation. She posted the $50,000 bail and was released. She was charged on Oct. 18, 2023.
That was not the first time Corona police accused Damron of being careless with one of her children.
In June 2022, Damron was cited on suspicion of driving a golf cart on a city street where the speed limit was greater than 25 mph and having an unrestrained child in the vehicle, court records show. The officer wrote on the citation that there were children ages 4, 3 and 1 in the cart. Damron was convicted in a trial by a judge and was fined $727.