Boy, 1, Dies After Being Left in Car During Mom’s Beauty Procedure
The tragic death of a one-year-old boy in Porterville, California, has drawn national attention and sparked outrage over the violation of a child’s right to life and right to parental care and protection.
On June 29, 2025, 20-year-old Maya Hernandez left her two young sons, 1-year-old Amillio Gutierrez and his 2-year-old brother, inside her parked Toyota Corolla while she underwent a cosmetic lip filler procedure at the Always Beautiful Med Spa.
She later told police that she left the car running with the air conditioning on. However, the vehicle, a hybrid, automatically shut off after one hour. The boys were reportedly left alone in the car for over two hours during the peak of a 101-degree day.
When Hernandez returned at around 4:30 p.m., she found Amillio unresponsive, suffering from a seizure, and foaming at the mouth. His older brother was also showing signs of heat distress.
The 2-year-old boy was taken into the med spa, where a customer poured cold water over him in an attempt to cool him down. Amillio was rushed to the hospital with a recorded body temperature of 107 degrees. He was pronounced dead.
Both children had been strapped into their car seats and were unable to move or escape the heat. According to police, Hernandez had asked the med spa whether her children could accompany her to the appointment. A staff member said they could wait in the waiting room, but she left them in the car instead.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found the vehicle parked facing west, directly in the sun. According to KGET, internal temperatures in a closed vehicle under those conditions can reach up to 143 degrees Fahrenheit.
Amillio’s grandmother, Kate Martinez, described the devastating loss, saying, “They were strapped in their car seats. They couldn’t even get up to save themselves.” She also said that Hernandez had been a loving mother and that the children deeply loved her.
Hernandez has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty. She remains in custody with bail set at over $1 million.
