Attorneys Say Mother Who Left Baby In Car Is Not A "Monster"

MIAMI (CBS4) - Tears flowed as the little boy who was about to turn one year old, was buried earlier this month in a Kendall cemetary. His name was Bryan Osceola and he was found dead in his family's car that had been sitting in the hot Florida sun.

At his funeral, his family stood by the small coffin; but his mother, Cataliana Marista Bruno, a mother of three was not present. She was sitting in jail charged with crimes related to his death.

Late Thursday, she was transferred to the mental health floor of the Miami-Dade Detention Center.

"Everyone describes her as a monster, but she really is not someone who is a monster," her attorney Lonnie Richardson tells CBS 4's Chief Investigative Reporter Michele Gillen. "She is someone who was sick and suffering."

Richardson admits that Bruno and the father of her son Bryan had a troubled life. Richardson said lots of red flags were missed. The attorney sayd Bruno was once described by her loved ones as happy. She had also raised two older children.

She also repeatedly tried to get help for post-partum depression, according to her attorney.

"She reached out for help on more than one occasion," Richardson says and claims that DCF was aware of various red flags in months leading up to the Bryans death despite claims to the contrary.

"People are lying," he said.

Bryan's father came to the attention of DCF when he was arrested for allegedly hitting Bruno in front of a child. That was months before Bruno was found slumped in her car with Bryan and was arrested for DUI.

"There were signs there were problems in this family. Perhaps if they had been paid attention to, this tragedy would not have occurred," says co-counsel, Frank Gavaria.

"When you have someone who has a DUI and there is a child in the car it makes sense that maybe this person needs help," Richardson concludes. "Catalina Bruno was ignored. It ended where everyone is suffering."