In a tragic case that has gripped the community, a jury has delivered a partial verdict regarding Maya Hernandez, a mother from California accused of leaving her young son in a sweltering car while she attended a spa appointment in Bakersfield.
On Thursday, the Kern County jury found Hernandez guilty on two counts of child endangerment, as reported by KBAK. However, they were unable to reach a consensus on charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, leading to a deadlock.
The sticking point for the jury appeared to be the concept of “implied malice,” a crucial element of the murder charge under California law. According to the state’s Penal Code, implied malice refers to the “deliberate intention to unlawfully take away” a life, a definition the jury struggled to apply in this case.
As previously covered by CrimeOnline, the incident occurred on June 29, when Hernandez left her children, Amillio and his two-year-old brother, inside her car while she underwent a cosmetic procedure at Always Beautiful Med Spa. Tragically, when she returned hours later, both boys were found unresponsive.
In her defense, Hernandez told detectives that she had left the car’s air conditioning running, believing it would keep her children safe. However, she was unaware that her 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid was programmed to switch off after an hour of inactivity, a devastating oversight with fatal consequences.
She told detectives she left them sleeping, with the air conditioner on, and thought they would be safe. However, the vehicle, a 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid, shuts off after an hour of inactivity.
Deputy District Attorney Stephanie Taconi questioned the defendant about declining to leave the children inside a child-friendly waiting room at the spa. Taconi pointed out text messages between Hernandez and a spa employee, who told her the children could wait in the area while she had the procedure done.
Taconi also pointed out that Hernandez left her keys inside the car with the children, who could have choked on them. The car could have also been stolen.
The prosecution said Amilio had a 107.2 degrees when he arrived at an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other child had a temperature of 99 degrees, but survived.
The defense challenged the murder charge, but previously said the manslaughter and cruelty to children charges would be accepted.
On Thursday, the judge ruled that since the jury deadlocked on the murder charge, a mistrial would be declared for both murder and manslaughter.
A status hearing has been set for January 12. During the hearing, it will be decided whether Hernandez will be retried for murder and manslaughter.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Amillio Gutierrez/Family Handout]
