Mom facing murder charge after 1-year-old dies in hot car during spa visit
Maya Hernandez, 20, was arrested on June 29 after leaving her two children in a hot car while she was getting lip filler at the Always Beautiful Medical Spa in Bakersfield.
Judge Brian McNamara determined there was enough evidence for the case against Hernandez to proceed after listening to testimony from five police officers over a three-hour hearing, according to NBC affiliate KGET-TV.
McNamara granted a motion filed by prosecutor Stephanie Taconi to add murder to the charges Hernandez faces, including involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child cruelty.
At the end of the hearing, McNamara said he didn't realize until Hernandez's case that children aged one and younger don't have fully developed sweat glands and are more likely to overheat.
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The judge also said he didn't realize certain vehicles automatically shut off if they are not in use, urging the media to spread the knowledge to help prevent other tragedies involving children in cars.
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Hernandez previously told police that she left the infant and his two-year-old brother in their car seats in the backseat of her 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid with the car's engine running and the air conditioning on around 2 p.m.
She said she left them with crackers, candy and milk, and her cellphone so they could watch television.
Once Hernandez returned to her car around 4:30 p.m., she said she noticed her younger son was 'appearing to have a seizure due to him foaming at the mouth and shaking.'
The police report claims that Hernandez's car has an automatic feature that shuts off its engine after it has been left running for one hour while in park. Police estimated that the engine in Hernandez's car automatically shut off around 3 p.m., and turned off the vehicle's air conditioning for around 90 minutes before she returned at around 4:30 p.m.
When police asked Hernandez why she didn't bring her sons inside the med spa with her, she said she didn't think anything would happen since she left her car running with the air conditioning on.
'(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,' the report added.
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Earlier that day, Hernandez had texted a nurse at the spa to ask if she could bring her children inside. The nurse said, 'Sure if you don't mind them waiting in the waiting room,' according to the police report.
The police report noted that the National Weather Service said it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 C) in Bakersfield on June 29, and the internal temperature inside her car likely reached 143 degrees Fahrenheit (61.6 C ) that afternoon.
'Hernandez admitted that she knew her actions were irresponsible and that she considered that when she was getting out of the car, but she left them in the vehicle regardless,' Det. Kyle McNabb said.
McNabb noted that it is 'commonly known that leaving young children unattended in a vehicle in extreme weather is dangerous and can result in death.'
Hernandez is being held on more than $1 million bond and is due back in court next week for her arraignment on July 24.
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