A 20-year-old California mother faces manslaughter and child abuse charges after her 1-year-old son died while left unattended in a vehicle during triple-digit temperatures, according to the Bakersfield Police Department.
Maya Hernandez was arrested following the June 29 incident that claimed the life of Amillio Gutierrez and hospitalized his 2-year-old brother, according to police. The tragedy unfolded when Hernandez left both children secured in car seats while she received facial injections at Always Beautiful Med Spa, a police spokesperson confirmed to NTD News.
Officers responded to the 10 block of South Real Road at approximately 5 p.m. after receiving reports of an unresponsive child, according to a Bakersfield Police Department press release sent to NTD News.
The outside temperature at the time ranged from 99 to 101 degrees, police said. The 1 year old was pronounced dead and 2 year old remains in stable condition and has been placed in protective custody.
Hernandez was booked on charges of child abuse and involuntary manslaughter and faces one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of willful cruelty to a child, according to police. She remains held on bond exceeding $1 million.
“They were strapped in their car seats,” Martinez told the outlet. “They couldn’t even get up to save themselves. She literally locked them in their car seats and shut their doors.”
She said she since has sat in her car multiple times with the windows up and engine off for 20 minutes to understand what her grandsons had endured.
“If you just take 20 minutes out of your day and go in your car and feel how it feels, I think that’s the only thing that will teach you how to know what a kid feels,” she said.
The tragedy occurred just days after Amillio had begun walking, according to his grandmother’s fundraiser, which notes “he just started walking on Thursday, and on Sunday, he gained his angel wings.”
Police emphasized the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, noting that interior temperatures can become lethal within minutes even with air conditioning running, according to their public safety reminder. The department urged anyone observing children or pets alone in vehicles to immediately contact 911.
The investigation continues as the family seeks $4,400 through combined fundraising efforts to cover funeral expenses and bring Amillio home to Porterville, about 50 miles north of Bakersfield, according to the GoFundMe pages.
