A 35-year-old woman has been arrested in California after a 19-month-old child fell from a moving SUV onto a busy road.
Footage shared online showed the vehicle driving into an intersection in Fullerton County when the passenger door opened and the child fell out. The SUV stopped suddenly, almost causing a collision with a following vehicle, which swerved to avoid the child.
The driver, identified as Jacqueline Hernandez, from La Habra, then got out and ran from the driver's side to retrieve the child before returning to the vehicle.
Fullerton Police Department said a witness came forward on January 24, 2026, providing identifying information about the vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle, the child and the woman at a residence in La Habra. The child had sustained injuries consistent with the fall and was taken to hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Hernandez was arrested and booked at Fullerton City Jail for felony child abuse. Police believe the incident occurred on January 20, 2026, between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. No calls were received at the time, and the investigation remains ongoing.
