Prosecutors have increased the charges leveled against a Tulare County woman accused in the heat-related death of her son left inside a hot car.
The Kern County District Attorney’s office on Monday amended the charges from involuntary manslaughter to murder after Maya Hernandez, 20, allegedly left her two small sons inside a car in 100-degree temperatures on June 29 while she had a lip-filler injection at a health spa on South Real Road in southwest Bakersfield. The children were left alone for more than two hours.
Hernandez’s one-year-old son Amilio Gutierrez suffered a seizure and died at the hospital. His internal temperature was 107 degrees. His 2-year-old brother survived.
Hernandez allegedly left the car running with the A-C set to 60 degrees but the vehicle shut off automatically after an hour.
Hernandez also faces also faces two counts of child abuse and is set to appear in court Tuesday.