For the first time since the 2023 day care drowning deaths of two toddlers that stunned San Jose, a member of the day care operators’ family is sharing a firsthand account of the traumatic rescue attempt and pleading for mercy for his family as sentencing approaches.
The incident unfolded on the morning of October 2, 2023, at Happy Happy Daycare, an in-home center licensed in 2021 and run by Shahin Gheblehshenas and her daughter, Nina Fathizadeh. That day, three toddlers wandered into a backyard pool. Two children, 16-month-old Payton Cobb and 18-month-old Lillian Hanan, died. A third child survived after being hospitalized in critical condition.
Sina Fathizadeh was staying with his mother and said he was inside when he heard his sister’s frantic screaming.
“She was just screaming so loud,” he said. “At first, I didn’t know what was going on.”
The cries were loud enough that neighbors called 911. When Sina reached the living room, he said his sister was performing CPR on one child while calling for help and telling him to check the backyard for the other children…