Tragic Incident Leads to Conviction
A California mother was found guilty in the tragic death of her 1-year-old son, who died after being left in a hot vehicle while she underwent cosmetic procedures.
Maya Hernandez, 20, faced charges stemming from an incident on June 29, where Bakersfield police discovered two young children unattended in a parked car for over two hours. Hernandez left them in the car to receive lip and buttock injections at a nearby medical spa.
While her son Amillio Guierrez was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, the older child, a two-year-old boy, survived and is currently in protective custody. Reports indicate that temperatures in Bakersfield that day soared between 99 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, potentially turning the inside of the car into a lethal environment.
Legal Consequences and Defense Arguments
Initially facing charges of second-degree murder, Hernandez eventually accepted a plea deal that allowed her to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter. During the trial, the prosecutor criticized her for prioritizing her appearance over her children’s safety, stating, “Her desire to feel beautiful above her children was wrong and criminal.”
The defense argued that Hernandez’s actions were not entirely negligent; they stated that she left the car engine running to maintain air conditioning. However, she was unaware that her vehicle had a safety feature that would shut off the engine after one hour. Additionally, the defense claimed that the children were left in their car seats with snacks and that Hernandez had provided her older son with her phone to watch videos.
Prosecutors countered by highlighting Hernandez’s conscious choices, such as rejecting the option to bring her children inside the medical facility and not seeking help from relatives. They pointed out that she made a decision to leave her children unattended in the car, valuing her personal time and socializing over their safety.
Upon returning to her vehicle, Hernandez found Amillio unresponsive, prompting her to carry him back into the medical spa. Witnesses described the scene, noting that the child appeared limp and had a purple hue. Efforts to revive him at the hospital were unsuccessful, and he was declared dead, having reached a concerning temperature of 107.2 degrees.
As a result of her conviction, Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 5.
