On 5/3, Maya Hernandez was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison after accepting a plea deal for manslaughter and child abuse, though she did not formally admit guilt. Based on the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a second-degree murder charge in February.

Court documents state that Maya left her two sons, ages two and one, in car seats inside a closed vehicle for about two hours while she went for a lip filler injection at a spa in Bakersfield, California, on 29/6/2025.

When Maya returned, her youngest son, Amillio Gutierrez, was unconscious. The boy was taken to the hospital with a body temperature of 42°C and died after approximately 15 to 20 minutes of emergency resuscitation. The two-year-old child had a body temperature of approximately 37,2°C and fortunately survived.

Maya Hernandez at her trial in 12/2025. *Photo: KBAK*

Upon arrest, Maya admitted she knew her actions were irresponsible and had considered this before leaving the vehicle. However, she still decided to leave her children in the car with snacks, cartoons playing on a phone, and the air conditioning on.

The air conditioning system in the 2022 Toyota Corolla hybrid was set to 15,6°C. However, the car has an automatic shutdown feature after one hour, leaving the two children in the hot vehicle for at least one hour. The temperature that day was approximately 38°C.

According to the police report, before her beauty appointment, Maya messaged the spa employee asking if she could bring her children inside and was told they could wait in the waiting room.

Maya's filler injection procedure only took 15 to 20 minutes, yet the two children were left in the car for over two hours. Maya did not check on her children at any point during this time.

Amillio's father, Rosendo Gutierrez, learned of his son's death while he was in custody for unrelated charges. Now released, Rosendo stated that the 15-year sentence is "not commensurate with the crime" because there are programs that could allow Maya to be released early.

Maya was held in custody for over 280 days during the trial process.

By Tue Anh (According to People, CourtTV)