Carmela Dela Rosa

The trial for a Fairfax woman who stands accused of dropping her two-year-old granddaughter off an elevated walkway in Tysons Corner is scheduled to begin today. Carmela Dela Rosa, who reportedly has a history of mental illness is slated to appear in Fairfax County Circuit Court today, where her public defender, Dawn Butorac, will attempt to prove that Dela Rosa did not premeditate to toss the child to her death on November 29.

The trial should be nothing less than an emotional roller coaster — the main witness to the crime is the child’s mother, who watched Dela Rosa drop the toddler from the six-story walkway that day. The defense will attempt to convince the jury that Dela Rosa “faced a series of personal and family stresses in the months leading up” to the incident, including the pregnancy of her daughter and an ongoing feud with her son-in-law. Butorac will also lean heavily on personal accounts that describe Dela Rosa as a “warm and loving grandmother.”

Dela Rosa has been held in solitary confinement since her arrest. If convicted, she faces a sentence of 20 years to life.