Mother arrested after 19-month-old infant flies out of car and falls on busy road in horrifying video, here’s what happened next

A shocking incident surfaced from California, where a mother of a 19-month-old baby was placed under arrest and booked after video footage showed her child flying from a moving vehicle and narrowly avoiding being run over by her SUV. The woman, identified as Jacqueline Hernandez, 35, of La Habra, was booked into the Fullerton City Jail on a felony child abuse charge.

According to the Fullerton Police Department, the newborn fell “from the passenger side of a moving vehicle," the Fullerton Police Department said in a Monday, January 26, 2026 press release.

In a social media post, the police department said the officials believe that occurred on January 20, 2026, between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. “The Fullerton Police Department did not receive any calls for service related to this incident and is seeking additional witnesses,” the department said in an Instagram post.

Cops share chilling video

The video shared by authorities shows a black SUV entering the intersection and completing a turn. Amid all this, the front passenger door opens and a child falls to the ground and into the roadway.

The video reportedly shows the child was nearly run over before the driver abruptly stopped, jumped out of the vehicle, picked up the child, ran back to the driver’s seat, and drove away. The child was nearly run over by the car they were in, and a light-colored vehicle following the black SUV also almost struck the child after the mother narrowly missed.


Warning: Some viewers may find the following video disturbing

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A post shared by Fullerton Police Department (@fullerton_pd)

The driver of the second car applied the brakes abruptly, while a yellow car behind it swerved to avoid the other cars. “On January 24, 2026, a witness came forward and reported observing the incident. The witness was able to provide identifying information related to the vehicle involved. Officers conducted a follow-up investigation, which led them to a residence in the City of La Habra,” police said. “Officers located the vehicle, the child, and the female involved in the incident seen in the video.”

Child sustains injuries

The Fullerton Police Department, in its Instagram post, said that the child, a 19-month-old, sustained injuries consistent with the fall and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

“The child is expected to make a full recovery. The female, identified as Jacqueline Hernandez, a 35-year-old resident of La Habra and the child’s mother, was placed under arrest and booked at the Fullerton City Jail for felony child abuse,” police added. It is not immediately known if Hernandez has retained an attorney.

What does California’s law says

According to California’s law, children under 2 years of age "shall ride in a rear-facing car seat" unless the child is 40 pounds or more, or is 40 or more inches tall. "The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat," the California Highway Patrol site reads, according to PEOPLE.

Rear-facing seats should also never be placed in front of an active air bag. Children must also be seated in the back seat of a car until age 8. This remains an ongoing investigation.