Crime
20-year-old Maya Hernandez was arrested in June 2025 after leaving her 2-year-old and 1-year-old sons in a hot vehicle for hours. Her 1-year-old son, Amillio Gutierrez, died.
Investigators learned that, before her appointment, Hernandez asked spa owners if she could bring her kids in; they said she could, but she still left them outside.
Hernandez arrived at the spa at 1:10 pm on June 29th and went inside, leaving her children behind; however, she quickly returned to the vehicle.
She stayed in the car until 2:09 pm, then she returned to the spa, leaving her kids behind again. Witnesses later stated that other parents had their children in the lobby.
Hernandez had left the air conditioner on in the car, set to 60 degrees, but her vehicle had a feature that automatically shut off the engine after 60 minutes.
Hernandez returned to the car at 4:33 pm, where she found her 1-year-old unresponsive. He later died.
A nurse said her two-year-old looked like he was going to have a stroke, but he survived.
Hernandez was arrested for manslaughter, but her charges were later upgraded to include second-degree murder. Her bail was set at $1 million. Unable to pay it, she remained behind bars.
Legal Proceedings
She went to trial in December 2025, facing charges of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and two counts of child abuse.
While initial media reports said she was at the spa getting her lips done, it later emerged she was getting a BBL.
DOB:
May 5th, 2005Conviction(s):
- Child Abuse (2 counts)
- Involuntary manslaughter
Date of crime:
June 29th, 2025Location(s):
Bakersfiled,CADate of arrest:
Same dayDetails:
Left her kids in a hot car.Confirmed Victim(s):
- Amillio Gutierrez (1)
- 2-year-old
Method:
Hot carSentence:
15 years in prisonCurrent whereabouts:
Lerdo pretrial jail facility in Kern County, CALast Updated on 03/22/2026
