California – In a heartbreaking case in California that has stirred widespread outrage, a young mother, identified as M. Hernandez, has pleaded not guilty after prosecutors say she left her two toddler sons locked in a hot car while she underwent a cosmetic procedure—an act that resulted in the death of her 1-year-old son. The 20-year-old Hernandez appeared in court on July 1, where she entered a not guilty plea to one count of manslaughter and two counts of willful cruelty to a child. She remains behind bars at the county jail on over $1 million bail, awaiting further court proceedings.
The charges stem from an incident that took place on June 29, when Hernandez brought her 1-and-2-year-old sons to a medical spa for a lip-filler appointment. According to a criminal complaint, instead of bringing the children into the building — despite having called ahead to ask whether they could accompany her — Hernandez left them inside her parked vehicle, with the windows up and the doors locked. The medical spa had responded affirmatively to her inquiry earlier that morning, reportedly allowing her to bring her children with her. Yet, investigators say Hernandez ignored that advice and chose to leave both boys strapped into their car seats.
Authorities report that temperatures that afternoon soared to 101 degrees. Though Hernandez told police she believed the children would be safe because she left the air conditioning on, experts cited in the criminal complaint explained that her vehicle is designed to automatically shut off the engine after one hour to conserve power. It is believed the car shut off while she was inside the spa, leaving the toddlers trapped in the sweltering heat. Though the cosmetic procedure itself took only about 15 to 20 minutes, employees at the spa told police that Hernandez was gone for over two and a half hours. She never checked on her children during that time.
When Hernandez returned to the vehicle at 4:30 p.m., she reportedly found the 1-year-old boy foaming at the mouth. In a desperate attempt to help, spa employees retrieved the 2-year-old from the car and tried to cool him down with water inside the building. Police were called and arrived at the scene around 4:45 p.m.. The 1-year-old boy was rushed to a local hospital with a body temperature of 107 degrees, but doctors could not save him. He was pronounced dead at 5:48 p.m. His older brother survived and was placed in child protective custody after receiving medical treatment.
The tragedy deepened when Hernandez admitted during police questioning that she “knew it was irresponsible to leave her kids in the car,” and even confessed that she hesitated at the time of exiting the car but couldn’t offer any justification for her actions. In an additional tragic layer to the story, the boys’ father is currently incarcerated. He was notified of the boy’s death by a jail chaplain, according to local reports. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support funeral expenses and the surviving child’s care.
As of now, Hernandez’s next court date is scheduled for July 14, when a preliminary hearing will determine how the case proceeds. If convicted on all charges, Hernandez could face a lengthy prison sentence. Meanwhile, the community continues to reel from a death that authorities and advocates say was entirely preventable. This case serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles—especially in hot weather—and of how one poor decision can result in irreversible loss.
