A one-year-old boy died after being left in a scorching car for more than two hours while his 20-year-old mother underwent a cosmetic lip filler procedure, a court in California has heard.
A Desperate Fight for Life in the ER
Amillio Gutierrez was rushed into the emergency room on June 29 in Bakersfield, California, pale, with blue lips and feet, unconscious, and with no pulse or breath. A nurse fighting to save him recorded his body temperature at a catastrophic 107F (41.7C) – the highest she had ever witnessed. Medical experts told the Kern County Superior Court that such a fever is unsurvivable for a child. Paramedics had found the toddler foaming at the mouth and convulsing. He was dead within hours.
His two-year-old brother, Mateo, was saved only when staff from a nearby spa pulled him from the 2022 Toyota Corolla hybrid, rushed him inside, and doused him in cold water. The court heard that Mateo survived partly because, at two, his sweat glands were better developed, giving him a greater ability to regulate his body temperature.
Vanity Over Safety: The Mother's Fateful Choices
The boys' mother, Maya Hernandez, had left them in the car while she visited the Always Beautiful Med Spa, located just 127 feet away. On the day of the incident, which peaked at 101F (38.3C), the temperature inside the vehicle could have reached a lethal 143F (62C).
Prosecutors argued Hernandez "chose vanity" over her children's safety. Security footage showed her arriving at the spa at 1.10pm, exiting her car at 1.35pm, and finally going in for her procedure after 4pm. Witnesses testified she appeared unconcerned, chatting happily with staff and other customers while she waited.
Shockingly, the court heard that Hernandez had texted the salon to ask if she could bring her children inside and was told, "Sure if you don't mind them waiting in the waiting area." She later told police she decided against it because she didn't want them "running around." She claimed she left the car running with the air conditioning on, but tests revealed the hybrid vehicle's engine automatically shut off after one hour of idling, cutting the cool air.
When a spa worker, Isabel Carreon, went to find Hernandez after she failed to return to pay, she discovered the mother with a baby who was "quite red and swollen." Carreon testified that Hernandez showed no urgency to get help. The worker then retrieved Mateo from the car herself and instructed another customer to call 911.
A Family Torn Apart by Grief and Accusations
The tragedy has shattered the once-close families of Hernandez and the boys' father, Rosendo Gutierrez, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for unrelated crimes. He learned of his son's death from a prison chaplain.
Previously, social media posts showed a loving extended family celebrating milestones and doting on the "two adorable baby boys." Now, the families are embroiled in a bitter feud. Rosendo's mother, Katie Martinez, has posted angrily online, accusing Hernandez of selfishness. "I'll never see him grow up... Maya took that from me," she wrote.
Hernandez's mother, Cassie Kirkland, has lashed out at online critics, calling the situation a "tragedy" and defending her daughter. The animosity was laid bare in a series of accusatory social media exchanges presented to the court.
The Trial and a Mother's Defence
Maya Hernandez faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and two counts of child cruelty. Taking the stand, she denied knowing the car would shut off, stating, "I had left the AC on, I just really thought they were going to be OK in there."
She described the moment she found her children: "I noticed Teo's cheeks were red, I looked over at Amillio and noticed he was blankly staring at me." In a panicked 911 call, she told the dispatcher, "No, he's dead, he's dead!"
Prosecutor Stephanie Taconi told the jury Hernandez's actions were intentional, not an accident. "She chose to leave them in the car. She chose a break... that choice cost Amillio his life," Taconi said.
However, her defence lawyer, Teryl Wakeman, argued this was a case of a "terrible, awful mistake" by a young mother, not murder. He stated she has admitted to the lesser charges but contests the murder charge as she never intended to harm her sons.
The jury continues to deliberate on whether her recklessness amounts to murder.
