BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 Trial is underway for the Visalia woman charged with murder in the hot car death of her toddler.<\/p>\n
Maya Hernandez was allegedly getting lip fillers at a cosmetic spa in Bakersfield as her one-year-old succumbed to the heat. Prosecutors are seeking convictions of second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child cruelty.<\/p>\n
During opening statements, Prosecutor Stephanie Teconi, showed an image of little Amilio Gutierrez, lying on a hospital gurney. The hands, feet, and tongue were so blue it was as if someone had painted them.<\/p>\n
Medical tubes and wires were all over his tiny body. Hernandez, in a black blazer, sat in her chair, sobbing as the image was shown to the jury.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe chose her appearance over her sons and that choice cost Amilio his life,\u201d said Stephanie Taconi, the lead prosecutor on the case.<\/p>\n
On June 29, when temperatures were at a scorching 101 degrees, Hernandez made a trip from Visalia to Bakersfield to get lip filler injections at a medical spa. She texted her nurse, asking if she could bring the kids inside.<\/p>\n
The nurse said yes, but instead of bringing her kids inside, she left her 2022 silver Toyota Corolla running with the air conditioning on while she went for her cosmetic procedure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe defendant sat inside of the lobby, in a chair, socializing, engaging in conversations, speaking to other patrons, helping another mother watch her child,\u201d said Taconi.<\/p>\n
Her other son was red in the face, and sweat covered his head when he was rescued. Prosecutors are seeking a conviction on second degree murder charges, which would put Hernandez in prison for 15 years to life.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told the other patrons inside she had children. What she failed to acknowledge, what she failed to say, is that her children were in the car,\u201d said Taconi.<\/p>\n
Her defense attorney Teryl Wakeman says this was a horrific accident, not intentional, and not murder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a terribly sad case, about a 20-year-old mother of two, a car, and a terrible awful mistake,\u201d said Wakeman.<\/p>\n
What Hernandez didn\u2019t know, a built in function in her Corolla shuts the car off after an hour of inactivity. She was in the spa for a full two hours. Wakeman said she left food and milk bottles for her two boys in the car and when she discovered them, in her own words, started freaking out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Hernandez calls 9-1-1 twice and in between takes Amilio inside the business to the nurse. Ms. Hernandez attempts CPR on Amilio, and 9-1-1 helps her with that, but tragically it doesn\u2019t work,\u201d said Wakeman.<\/p>\n
We are live blogging the entire high-profile trial all throughout this week, click here<\/a> to follow along.<\/p>\n We also live streamed the opening statements, and that video is available on our website as well.<\/p>\n Trial resumes Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n