BUTTE COUNTY, Calif -- A Paradise couple will face trial on felony child endangerment charges, in connection with the death of their 5-month-old daughter, after a judge found evidence to move the case forward.
Michelle Mary Eastman, 28, and Daniel Michael Eastman, 26, were held to answer on Tuesday following about three hours of testimony at a preliminary hearing in Butte County Superior Court. The pair also face an additional enhancement related to the death of their infant girl.
According to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, Paradise police were dispatched at 11:53 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2025, after receiving a report of a nonresponsive infant. Officers, firefighters and EMTs attempted lifesaving measures, but the child was pronounced dead.
Investigators who inspected the home recovered alcohol cans and bottles scattered throughout the residence. Authorities also recovered a video from a Google Nest camera, which they said showed videos of Daniel Eastmean lying on a couch with the infant positioned beneath his head throughout the night.
Both parents told officers they had consumed a significant amount of alcohol that evening, according to investigators. Michelle Eastman said Daniel regularly drank heavily to the point of "blacking out," and told officers she could not recall major portions of the night due to intoxication.
Officers used a Preliminary Alcohol Screening Device to obtain breath samples. The handheld breathalyzer showed Michelle Eastman had a blood alcohol level of 0.11%, while Daniel Eastman's level was 0.24% about two hours after the initial 911 call, according to investigators. Subsequent blood tests showed Michelle Eastman's level was 0.10% about 3.5 hours after the call, and Daniel Eastman's level was 0.18% more than five hours after the child was found dead. Daniel Eastman also tested positive for marijuana, which he admitted to smoking that evening.
Butte County Superior Court Commissioner Leah Sears ruled there was sufficient evidence to support the charges, finding that both parents were too intoxicated to care for their infant. The court also heard evidence of a history of alcohol abuse, including a 2023 domestic violence incident in which Daniel Eastman assaulted Michelle Eastman while intoxicated, and a 2022 incident in which both parents were found unconscious next to their other child, who was an infant at the time.
Sears also cited Michelle Eastman's decision to leave the child in Daniel Eastman's care despite his history of alcohol abuse, according to prosecutors.
The court also emphasized Daniel Eastman's extreme intoxication, which the court said resulted in him "using the victim as a pillow."
Daniel Eastman faces a maximum of 12 years in state prison if convicted, while Michelle Eastman faces a maximum of 10 years.
The Eastmans are scheduled to return to court on May 6, 2026, to set a jury trial date. Both are out on bail, set at $80,000.