California Mother Charged With Manslaughter After Toddler Dies In Hot Car During Spa Visit

Maya Hernandez, a 20-year-old mother in Bakersfield, California, faces involuntary manslaughter and child abuse charges after leaving her 1-year-old son and 2-year-old son strapped in a car during triple-digit heat while she received facial injections at a med spa. Despite Hernandez's claim that she left the air conditioning on, investigators revealed her 2022 Toyota Corolla automatically shuts off after an hour, leaving the children in a car that likely reached temperatures up to 143 degrees. The youngest child, Amillio Gutierrez, died from heat exposure, with a body temperature of 107 degrees upon hospital arrival, while his 2-year-old brother was hospitalized in stable condition and placed in protective custody. Authorities say the children were left unattended for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, during which they remained secured in car seats and could not free themselves. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty and is held on a bond exceeding $1 million. Family members have expressed grief and urged others not to leave children unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.