One-year-old dies after mother leaves him in hot car to get lip filler
A 20-year-old mother of two has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after leaving her one-year-old son to die in a hot car while she underwent lip filler injections
Maya Hernandez from California in the United States, has also been charged with two counts of willful cruelty to a child following the harrowing event.
According to NBC News, Hernandez left her one-year-old and his two-year-old brother in car a Bakersfield, near Los Angeles, on a day when temperatures soared to 37°C.
The publication said the children were left in a 2022 Toyota Corolla for over two hours outside the Always Beautiful Medical Spa where she received the cosmetic treatment.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Hernandez informed the police that when she was done with her procedure, she discovered her baby foaming at the mouth and seemingly experiencing a seizure. In a state of panic, she immediately called 911. Both of her children were then taken to a hospital for medical care.
When her one-year-old son was brought to Adventist Health hospital, he exhibited no signs of life—he was unresponsive, without a pulse, and his lips were a deep shade of blue. Unfortunately, after roughly an hour following the 911 call, he was pronounced dead and later identified as Amillio Gutierrez.
He died on June 29, 2025, and Hernandez made her first appearance in court on July 9, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the two-year-old child recovered from the ordeal and has since been placed in protective custody, according to the police report.
According to NBC News, Hernandez first inquired at the spa about bringing her kids inside. She was informed that while she could bring them, they would need to stay in the waiting area. It’s not clear why she didn’t bring them in, however, she later told the police that she decided to leave them in the car because she was uncertain about how long her procedure would take.
It was further reported that Hernandez told police that she left her car running with the air conditioning set to 60 degrees. She said she gave her kids sweets, crackers, milk and a cellphone to watch.
She is being held on more than $1 million bail (over R17.9 million).
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