A San Jose day care co-owner was found guilty Tuesday in the 2023 drowning deaths of two toddlers.
After deliberating for less than two hours Tuesday, jurors found Happy Happy Daycare co-owner Shahin Gheblehshenas guilty of three counts of felony child endangerment.
Codefendant Nina Fathizadeh — Gheblehshenas’ daughter and co-owner of the day care — pleaded guilty in February just before trial proceedings. Gheblehshenas pleaded not guilty prior to the trial.
“It’s been a super long two and a half years; it’s been really painful,” said Scott Hanan, the father of one of the victims. “To be able to see this process get past this particular milestone is really great.”
Juror Calvin Antonio said the facts were clear.
“Before we even went in that deliberation room, we pretty much all made a decision,” he said.
The case stems from a tragic incident in October 2023 at the home-based day care in Almaden where two toddlers, 18-month-old Peyton Cobb and 16-month-old Lillian Hanan, drowned in a backyard swimming pool and a third fell in but survived. The deaths shocked the community and raised serious questions about swimming pools at day cares.
According to police records, Gheblehshenas was not at the day care at the time of the drownings. Investigators said she had left for a doctor’s appointment.
Her defense attorney, Glen Jonas, had argued that fact was central to the case. He also previously said his client has deep sorrow for the victims’ families and is glad Fathizadeh, who was home at the time of the drownings, took responsibility.
Prosecutors, however, introduced evidence they said pointed to a broader pattern of negligence prior to the drownings. That included allegations the pool gate may have been left open on previous occasions, as well as prior state licensing violations involving a greater number of infants in the home than they were licensed to have and an assistant who had not gone through the requisite criminal record clearance.
Gheblehshenas’ son, Sina Fathizadeh, pulled the victims’ bodies from the pool.
“I have nightmares about it,” he said. “I have thoughts about it. I have been in therapy for the last year and a half.”
Sina said his family has been wanting to apologize to the victims’ families. They were told not to by lawyers, until Tuesday.
“We are very sorry for your loss,” Sina said.
Scott Hanan said all he can do right now is acknowledge the apology.