BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Scripps News Bakersfield) — A California mother charged in her son’s hot car death is scheduled to stand trial in September.
Maya Hernandez pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of willful cruelty, one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of first-degree murder.
Maya Hernandez appears in court for a preliminary hearing on July 15, 2025. She now faces Mother now facing a murder charge connected to leaving her children in a hot car back in June, leading to the death of one. (Court TV)
Prosecutors allege Hernandez left her two children in a hot car while at a medical spa, resulting in the death of 1-year-old Amillio Gutierrez.
Hernandez’s other child was hospitalized in critical condition.
According to a police report obtained by Scripps News Bakersfield, prior to arriving at her appointment, Hernandez messaged spa personnel asking if she could bring her children inside, receiving a response, “Sure if you don’t mind them waiting in the waiting room hun.”
MORE | Maya Hernandez standing trial in hot car death of 1-year-old son
The report states Hernandez left her kids in the car while it was running with the AC set to 60 degrees. Documents say Hernandez’s procedure only took 15 to 20 minutes, but the children were left in the car for almost two hours. It states that at no point did Hernandez come out to check on her kids.
Even though Hernandez claimed to have left the children in the car with the air conditioning on, the car’s manufacturer says that the car automatically turns off after an hour of inactivity.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for August 9, with a three-week trial set to begin on September 8.
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