San Jose day care co-owner found guilty in 2023 drowning deaths of 2 toddlers

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A jury found a San Jose day care co-owner guilty in the 2023 deaths of two toddlers on Tuesday.

Two 1-year-olds, Payton Cobb and Lilian Hannan, drowned in a pool at "Happy Happy day care" and the mother-daughter caregivers are being held criminally responsible for felony child endangerment charges and other misdemeanors.

The daughter, Nina Fathizadeh, plead guilty in February.

But her mother, Shahin Gheblehshenas, went to trial where a verdict was quickly reached.

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The families of the young children who died at the day care say both caregivers being found guilty in this case is a step toward justice

"It's been a super long two and a half years," Lilian Hanan's father, Scott Hanan, said. "It's been really painful. and to be able to see this process and get past this particular milestone is really great."

"I just wanted to say I am still very, very pleased with the jury's decision," Payton Cobb's grandmother, Deborah Herting, said. "They paid attention. They asked questions. They made the right choice."

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It took just over an hour for the jury to deliberate after closing arguments in the "Happy Happy Daycare" drowning case from October 2023.

A juror said overwhelming evidence led them to decide that Shahin Gheblehshenas, one of the day care's co-owners, was guilty of all three counts of child endangerment.

"When you're making the decision to keep the day care running, despite being short staffed, you're essentially undermining the need for safety and security of those children," Calvin Antonio said. "And you're making that choice to put those children in a situation in which they're in danger."

That's what the jury found led to 1-year-olds, Payton Cobb and Lilian Hannan, slipping through a propped-open gate that separated a play area from a pool at the home day care.

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The two girls drowned in the pool, while another toddler who fell in was saved.

Gheblehshenas' daughter, Nina Fathizadeh, was in charge when the children fell in the pool - she plead guilty in February.

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Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney O'Bryan Kenney says nothing can bring the girls back, but accountability is important.

"What we established was a pattern of behavior that led to this and the defendant, I believe, had many opportunities to fix this extreme hazard and she failed to do that," O'Bryan said.

Meanwhile, the son and brother of the two women spoke with cameras after the court ruling on Tuesday.

Sina Fathizadeh says that the accident haunts everyone in his family to this day.

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On their behalf, I'll say again, we are very sorry for your loss," Fathizadeh said. "It has been our loss as well, we love those kids like our own."

Both women will be back in court on May 22 for sentencing, where they face more than 10 years in prison for their roles in this tragic situation.