California Mothers Face Upgraded Murder Charges

Two California mothers, Maya Hernandez and Yesica Barajas, are facing upgraded murder charges in separate incidents that led to the deaths of their children. Hernandez, 20, allegedly left her 1- and 2-year-old sons in a hot car for over two hours during a cosmetic procedure in Porterville, resulting in her 1-year-old son's death; prosecutors elevated her initial manslaughter charge to murder after learning she ignored warnings about the risks and was told she could bring the children inside. Her defense claims she believed the air conditioning would remain on due to her car's automatic shut-off feature. In Napa, Yesica Barajas faces two counts of murder after allegedly driving under the influence and crashing, killing her two children; her charges were upgraded from vehicular manslaughter as new details of substance use emerged. Both women remain in custody and await further legal proceedings. These cases have fueled public debate over parental responsibility, negligence, and the use of murder charges in child death cases.