California mom charged after one-year-old dies from being left in hot car while she got lip injections

A California mother has been charged with manslaughter and child cruelty after her infant son died from allegedly being left inside a car on a 100-plus degree day while she was getting lip filler injections at a medical spa in late June.

The Bakersfield Police Department alleges that Maya Hernanendez, 20, knew when she walked away from her vehicle that leaving one-year-old Amillio Guiterrez and his two-year-old brother was “irresponsible,” according to documents filed in Kern County Superior Court and obtained by National Post.

“But she intentionally left them in the vehicle regardless, placing the value of her appearance over the value of the safety and well-being of her children,” Det. Kyle McNabb wrote in his report.

The name of the surviving child has not been released by authorities or relatives.

According to police, Hernandez had contacted the spa earlier on June 29 to ask if her children could accompany her and was told they could, so long as they stayed in the waiting room of the medical facility. A spa nurse allegedly later told police they were not aware that the children were waiting in the vehicle.

Figuring her appointment could go long, police say Hernandez told them that upon arriving around 2 p.m., she decided to leave the boys strapped into their car seats, with snacks and milk, inside the running car with the air conditioning on while they watched shows on her phone.

“(Hernandez) stated she was certain that her car would stay on with the air conditioning running the whole time she was gone, because she had been in her car for extended periods of time before and had even slept in her car,” McNabb wrote.

However, police later learned that her vehicle, a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, automatically shuts off after one hour if left in park.

Hernandez said she returned to her vehicle at approximately 4:30 p.m. and found Amillio red in the face and then appearing to suffer a seizure with “foaming at the mouth and shaking.” The other boy was faring better, but his hair was still “soaking wet” with sweat. She sought assistance from spa staff and called 911.

Paramedics told police that Amillio was unconscious and not breathing upon their arrival.

Both were transported to hospital where staff worked on Amillio for 40 minutes before pronouncing him dead. A doctor interviewed by police said the infant’s body temperature was recorded at 107.2 degrees.

According to historical weather data , the peak temperature at that time of day was 101 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). In his report, McNabb noted that the internal temperature of a car can climb to 143°F (62°C) in just one hour of 100-degree weather.

Police estimate that the boys were left in the scorching hot car for at least 90 minutes.

Amillio’s brother, whose body temperature was registered at 99 degrees, had normal vital signs and has since recovered from the ordeal. Police were informed that kids two and older can sweat to cool themselves down, whereas most infants can’t.

“Based on the totality of the evidence at this time it is clear that Maya Hernandez’s actions caused the death of Amillio Gutierrez,” McNabb wrote.

Hernandez, who has pleaded not guilty to one charge of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child cruelty, is being held on $1 million bail. She appeared in court briefly last Friday and is due to return Tuesday, according to ABC in Bakersfield.

Speaking with a reporter outside court, spa patron and witness Ian Blue said he told emergency responders he saw no signs that the air conditioning was running when he walked past Hernandez’s car.

Katie Martinez, the patriarchal grandmother of the deceased boy, said Hernandez is “a really loving mom” and struggled to understand the tragedy.

“They were strapped in their car seats. They couldn’t even get up to save themselves,” she told another ABC outlet. “She literally locked them in their car seats and shut their doors.”

Her son, the boys’ father, is currently serving time for unrelated charges and learned of his one-year-old’s death the following day.

• How to avoid forgetting your child in a hot car
• One child dies per year in Canada after being left in a hot car, researchers say

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