Mom attacked in parking lot with baby in her arms; Suspect has charge dismissed

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - Grainy surveillance video shows the moment a Riverside County mother was attacked with her baby in her arms.

Now, the mom who was attacked in the incident six months ago is demanding justice after she tells FOX 11 that the attacker from the May 2022 incident had a child endangerment charge dismissed.

"Hearing my child cry in my arms, it broke me as a mother," Clarissa Guevara said when recalling the attack.

Guevara says the attack stemmed from a domestic issue that her former friend was upset about. The former friend attacked Guevara as she had her then 1-year-old daughter in her arms in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Hemet.

"That scream I heard that day, I would never forget that screaming," Guevara said.

As Guevara tries to heal physically and emotionally from the May 2022 attack, she tells FOX 11 the attacker was reportedly charged with misdemeanor child endangerment. However, on Monday, that case was dismissed by a Riverside County Superior Court Judge.

Why? Because there were no courtrooms available in Riverside County.

The Riverside County District Attorney's Office says more than 200 criminal cases countywide have been dismissed recently due to lack of available trial courtrooms. Most 

The Riverside County Superior Court points to a backlog of cases that piled up during the pandemic and a decades-long shortage of judges, saying the court will "continue to advocate for more judges to properly meet the needs of Riverside County."

The DA's office says misdemeanor cases like the May 2022 attack can't be refiled, but Guevara isn't giving up.

"I'm trying to figure out why she's not being held responsible for hitting a 1-year-old child," Guevara said. "I'm trying my hardest to have my baby's voice heard."

FOX 11 made calls to law enforcement to learn more about the charges but could not be reached for comment at the time of Wednesday night's newscast.