Las Vegas NowGladys Perez Appears in Las Vegas Court

Gladys Perez Appears in Las Vegas Court

Gladys Perez may feel the eyes of the entire Las Vegas community are on her. She's the mother accused in the death of her three-year-old daughter, Crystal Figueroa, the girl we first knew as "Baby Jane Cordova Doe."

More than a week after Perez's extradition hearing in Tulare County, California, 24-year-old Gladys Perez, handcuffed and wearing the standard blue jumpsuit, made an initial appearance Wednesday in Las Vegas Justice Court by closed-circuit video from the Clark County jail. She was charged, but was not asked to enter a plea to murder by child abuse and other felony charges.

Before Perez's brief court appearence, Tim O'Brian, one of her court appointed attorneys, spoke with her via video conference about what would happen. The prosecution and the defense lawyers were then called into the judge's chambers. Moments later the court briefly heard from Perez.

When Judge Karen Bennett-Haron asked Perez if she understood she was being charged with murder and child neglect. Perez answered quietly, "I sure do."

After the hearing, Public Defender Curtis Brown explained his legal team's next steps."There's going to be a lot of people that still need to be talked to and we've had opportunity to speak to some, but the police department hasn't even spoken to a number of these witness' yet. When they become available, we'll meet with them."

Brown would not comment on Perez's emotional state, but did say her mother, who turned her in, is cooperating. "Lilia Perez is in a very difficult position, moving on from losing her grandaughter, to supporting her daughter."

The defense says it's too early to say if Perez will be tried seperately from Marc Colon. He's the man also charged in Crystal Figueroa's death. The state wants them tried together. Prosecutor Christopher Lalli said, "We will do everything we can to make sure they are tried together. It is more efficient. It gives the jury a better look at the entire proceedin -- all the evidence."

It's evidence that her attorney hopes will work to her advantage. Curtis Brown said, "At this point, our position in the long run, these charges may be over-reaching. Again, we don't have enough information to really make a full comment on that."

Gladys Perez will be back in court three weeks from now. Her attorney says he may ask for the trial to be moved out of town because of the extreme amount of pre-trial news coverage. Prosecutors, however, do not think that will happen.

(Mar. 8 12 p.m.) -- The body of 3-year-old Crystal Figueroa was found in a dumpster on Jan. 12. She had been beaten to death.  The unidentified child was adopted by the Las Vegas community as Jane Cordova Doe. It was more than six weeks before her identity was known and arrests were made in the case.

Public Defender Curtis Brown says Perez won't enter a plea -- at least until a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 29th. "At this point, our position in the long run, these charges may be over-reaching. Again we don't have enough information to really make a full comment on that.," said Curtis Brown, Perez's lawyer.

That allows time for the return to Nevada of Perez's boyfriend -- 28-year-old Marc Anthony Colon.  He remains in custody in Saint Paul, Minnesota pending extradition on similar murder by child abuse charges.

Perez was arrested February 23rd in California's Tulare County. She's now being held without bail at Clark County jail.

Prosecutors are preparing that Perez's defense will opt to have her tried separately from Colon who's also charged with killing Crystal Figueroa.

"We will do everything we can to make sure they are tried together. It is more efficient. It gives the jury a better look at the entire proceeding -- all the evidence," said Christopher Lalli, prosecutor.

Perez's lawyers say one of the challenges in this case will be seeing how the community responds emotionally.  They could ask to move the trial out of Clark County.

Prosecutors say changes in venues are extremely rare. Perez's lawyers plan to meet with her Wedneday afternoon. They say Perez is staying in a room on her own at the detention center.

The little girl was buried Friday in Pacoima, California. 

Email reporter Chris Saldaña at csaldana@klastv.com