Mom charged with manslaughter after baby dies in overheated car during cosmetic appointment

A 20-year-old California mother has been arrested and charged after her 1-year-old son died in a hot car while she was inside a medical spa getting lip filler.

Maya Hernandez is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty following the June 29 incident outside Always Beautiful Medical Spa in Bakersfield. According to Bakersfield police, Hernandez left her sons, a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old, in her 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid around 2 pm while she went inside for a cosmetic procedure.

Hernandez reportedly left the car running with the air conditioning on and gave the children snacks, milk, and her phone to watch videos. However, the vehicle’s auto shut-off feature turned off the engine after about an hour, police said. This disabled the air conditioning and left the children inside a sealed car as temperatures soared outside to 101°F (38°C).


When Hernandez returned to the car at approximately 4:30 pm, she found her youngest son, Amillio Gutierrez, seizing and foaming at the mouth. Her 2-year-old son appeared lethargic and had soaking wet hair, according to the police report.

Both children were rushed to Adventist Health Hospital. Amillio was found unresponsive, with no pulse and blue lips. Despite emergency efforts, he was pronounced dead an hour later. The older child survived and has since been placed in protective custody.

The internal temperature of the car is believed to have reached 143°F (61.6°C), based on estimates from the National Weather Service and police.

During the investigation, police discovered that Hernandez had earlier texted a nurse at the spa asking if she could bring her children inside. The nurse responded, “Sure, if you don’t mind them waiting in the waiting room.” Hernandez chose to leave them in the vehicle instead.

She told officers she thought the air conditioning would continue to run the entire time and admitted she considered the risk but still left them in the car.

“She admitted that she knew her actions were irresponsible,” Detective Kyle McNabb said. “It is commonly known that leaving young children unattended in a vehicle in extreme weather is dangerous and can result in death.”

Hernandez pleaded not guilty and is currently held on $1 million bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 11.