An Anaheim woman has been arrested after her 3-year-old daughter was found unconscious in a locked SUV and later died amid extreme heat plaguing the region, authorities said Monday.
Detectives arrested Sandra Hernandez, 41, on charges of involuntary manslaughter and felony child neglect after she and her daughter were found unconscious in a white Ford Expedition.
Police responded to a medical emergency around 4:20 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, in the 1300 block of North Fashion Lane, a residential street with several apartment buildings.
They found an unconscious 3-year-old girl whom another family member removed from the locked Expedition by smashing a window, according to the Anaheim Police Department. The girl and her mother were found unconscious in the vehicle, which was parked near their residence, police said.
First responders performed life-saving measures and brought the girl to a hospital, where she later died. The suspected cause of death was complications from heat stroke, but an official autopsy is pending.
Hernandez was also taken to a hospital. She and her daughter were in the locked Ford for an unknown period, when another family member found them. The outside temperature at the time was around 104 degrees, and the vehicle was turned off when police arrived.
Using a search warrant, police said they discovered several empty alcohol bottles inside the vehicle.
Detectives interviewed Hernandez at the hospital and arrested her once she was medically cleared.
Each year, about 37 children die from heat stroke because they were left or became trapped in a vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The investigation is ongoing. Police ask anyone with information to contact Anaheim police at 714-765-1900 or the Orange County Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 855-TIP-OCCS.
Originally Published:
