BAKERSFIELD, CA – A 20-year-old California woman has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter after her 1-year-old son died in a hot car while she underwent cosmetic procedures at a medical spa last June.
Maya Hernandez accepted a plea deal that reduced her original second-degree murder charge to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Amillio Guierrez. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 5.
On June 29, Bakersfield police found two young children left unattended in a vehicle for over two hours while temperatures reached 99 to 101 degrees. Hernandez had left the children in the car while receiving lip and buttock injections at a nearby medical facility.
The 1-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital, while his 2-year-old brother survived and was placed in protective custody. Medical staff reported the deceased child had a body temperature of 107.2 degrees and showed signs of severe heat exposure.
During trial proceedings in December, prosecutor Stephanie Taconi argued that Hernandez made a series of deliberate choices that led to the tragedy. The prosecution noted that medical spa staff had offered to allow the children inside during the procedure, but Hernandez declined the accommodation.
Defense attorneys argued that Hernandez had left the engine running to keep the air conditioning operational and provided the children with snacks and entertainment. However, prosecutors revealed that Hernandez was unaware her Toyota Corolla Hybrid would automatically shut off after one hour due to a safety feature.
Court records show Hernandez was originally charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child cruelty, and child endangerment. The father of the children was incarcerated at the time of the incident, according to family members.
The case highlighted the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles during extreme heat conditions. Bakersfield police noted that interior vehicle temperatures can quickly reach deadly levels even when outside temperatures are in the high 90s to low 100s.
