California v. Maya Hernandez

Justice's Opening Statement

Welcome to Justice Is A Process. I'm Steven Askin, and today we're covering a case that's forced a California jury to answer one of the hardest questions in criminal law: Where does terrible judgment end and murder begin?

Maya Hernandez is 20 years old. She's a single mother. She's a certified nursing assistant. And on June 29, 2025, she drove 80 miles from Visalia to Bakersfield for a cosmetic procedure at a place called Always Beautiful Med Spa. She brought both her sons with her. Amillio was one year old. Mateo was two.

She left them in the car.

Over two hours later, she came back to find Amillio purple, foaming at the mouth, and seizing. His body temperature would later be measured at 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit. He was pronounced dead before 6 PM that evening. The cause of death: hyperthermia. Heat stroke. He cooked from the inside out in that car while his mother sat in a waiting room, checking her Apple Watch, chatting with other customers about Fourth of July plans.

The State of California says this is murder. Not an accident. Not negligence. Murder. They're arguing that Maya Hernandez knew the dangers, she ignored explicit offers to bring her children inside, she had a stroller in her trunk she never used, and she made a conscious choice to prioritize a cosmetic procedure over her children's lives. That, prosecutors say, is implied malice. That's second-degree murder.

The defense sees it differently. They've already conceded to involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. They're not saying Maya Hernandez is innocent. They're saying she's not a murderer. She believed the car's air conditioning would stay on. She didn't know her hybrid vehicle would automatically shut off after an hour of inactivity. She made catastrophic assumptions, yes. But assumptions aren't the same as consciously disregarding human life.

Closing arguments begin at 9 AM Pacific Time today, December 16, 2025. Cameras are finally allowed in the courtroom after being restricted throughout most of the trial. This is the moment where both sides make their final pitch to the jury.

This report will walk you through everything you need to know: the defendant, the victim, the fatal day, the investigation, the charges, the trial testimony, and most importantly, the legal questions the jury must answer. By the time you finish reading, you'll understand this case as well as anyone who sat in that courtroom.

Let's get into it.

Who Is Maya Hernandez

Maya Hernandez was born on May 5, 2005. At the time of the incident, she was 20 years old, a single mother of two boys, working as a certified nursing assistant in Visalia, California. By her own testimony at trial, she was "the primary provider for her family."

Her life wasn't easy. The father of both her children was incarcerated at the time of the incident for what court records describe as "an alleged domestic violence incident." He learned of Amillio's death through a jail chaplain. Twenty-six days before the fatal trip to Bakersfield, Hernandez had left the home of the children's paternal grandmother, Katie Martinez, after what was described as an "altercation."

The prosecution has focused heavily on Hernandez's training as a CNA. As a certified nursing assistant, she had learned about caring for patients of all ages. She understood vital signs, body temperature regulation, and the dangers of heat exposure. This wasn't a teenager who didn't know any better. This was someone with healthcare training who, according to her own statements to police, had "seen things in the news" about children dying in hot cars.

Her defense has painted a different picture: a young, overwhelmed single mother doing her best in difficult circumstances. She had full-term pregnancies with both boys. She breastfed both children. She took them with her everywhere, which is exactly why they were in that car in Bakersfield that day. The paternal grandmother, Katie Martinez, described Hernandez as "a really good mom" who "always took her kids everywhere."

Both narratives can be true at the same time. A loving mother can still make a fatal mistake. The question isn't whether Maya Hernandez loved her children. The question is whether what she did that day crosses the legal threshold from negligence into murder.

The Fatal Day: June 29, 2025

Sunday, June 29, 2025. It was 101 degrees in Bakersfield. Maya Hernandez loaded both her sons into her 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid and drove approximately 80 miles from Visalia to Always Beautiful Med Spa at 31 South Real Road in Bakersfield.

Before she left home, she had texted the spa asking if she could bring her children. The response came from spa employee Nurse Harmony Pacheco. The exact words, which were read aloud in court:

"Sure if you don't mind them waiting in the waiting room hun." — Nurse Harmony Pacheco, text message to Maya Hernandez

Hernandez never responded to this message. The spa had offered to let her bring the children inside. She had a working stroller in her trunk. She chose neither option.

The Arrival

Hernandez arrived at the spa just before 1 PM. She parked her Toyota Corolla Hybrid in the lot, left the engine running with the air conditioning on, strapped both boys into their car seats, gave them crackers, candy, and milk, propped up her cell phone so they could watch television, and went inside.

The procedure she was there for is worth noting. Initial reports said lip filler. Trial testimony revealed it was actually a Liquid Brazilian Butt Lift, a cosmetic procedure involving injections to enhance the buttocks. The procedure itself took only 15 to 20 minutes.

But Hernandez didn't leave after 15 to 20 minutes. She stayed for over two hours.

Two Hours in the Waiting Room

Surveillance footage from inside the spa, played in its entirety for the jury, showed what Maya Hernandez did during those two hours and 24 minutes she was inside the building.

She sat in the waiting room. She checked her Apple Watch "multiple times." She chatted with other customers. Trial testimony revealed she discussed Fourth of July plans with people in the waiting room. At one point, another mother inside the spa asked Hernandez to watch her 8-year-old daughter while she used the restroom. Hernandez agreed.

At no point during these two hours did Maya Hernandez mention that her own children were waiting in a car outside. Not once.

The Car Shuts Off

Here's what Maya Hernandez didn't know about her 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: when parked and left running without anyone pressing the accelerator, the vehicle's system automatically shuts off after approximately one hour of inactivity.

Police later recreated the conditions. The car shut off around 3:05 to 3:10 PM. Within 15 minutes of the AC stopping, the interior temperature rose 19.4 degrees. The heat kept climbing. By the time Hernandez returned to the vehicle at approximately 4:33 PM, the interior had reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do we know that temperature? A detective's body-worn camera shut itself off at 4:16 PM that day. The camera's automatic shutdown trigger: "critical internal temperature." The equipment designed to withstand police work couldn't survive the heat inside that car.

The Discovery

At approximately 4:30 PM, Maya Hernandez finally left the spa. She wasn't checking on her children. She was going to her car to retrieve her phone so she could pay for her procedure.

What she found was her worst nightmare. One-year-old Amillio was limp, purple, foaming at the mouth, and appeared to be seizing. Two-year-old Mateo was red-faced with soaking wet hair, gasping for air.

What happened next became crucial prosecution evidence.

The 15-Minute Delay

Spa employee Isabel Carreon testified that approximately 15 minutes after Hernandez went to her car, Carreon walked outside to check if Hernandez had left without paying. What she found shocked her.

Hernandez was "sitting in the driver's seat" holding Amillio. Critically, according to Carreon's testimony, Hernandez "wasn't acting with any urgency." She wasn't crying. She wasn't yelling. She wasn't calling 911. She wasn't performing CPR.

This testimony became a centerpiece of the prosecution's case. Fifteen minutes is a long time when a child is dying. Every second matters in a heat stroke emergency. The prosecution argues this delay demonstrates the same conscious disregard for human life that led Hernandez to leave her children in the car in the first place.

Inside the Spa

When Hernandez eventually brought Amillio inside the spa, Nurse Harmony Pacheco described what she saw:

"He was purple, he had foam in his mouth... I shouted for someone to call the ambulance." — Nurse Harmony Pacheco, trial testimony

While employees scrambled to help Amillio, another spa client took Mateo to the bathroom and poured cold water on him to cool him down. The 2-year-old survived. His body temperature, when later measured, was 99 degrees Fahrenheit.

Amillio arrived at Adventist Health Hospital intubated, without a pulse, and not breathing. His body temperature was 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit. An emergency room nurse testified this was the highest body temperature she had ever seen in a child.

He was pronounced dead shortly before 6 PM.

The Investigation

Bakersfield Police immediately launched an investigation. Detectives collected surveillance footage from the spa, examined Hernandez's vehicle, interviewed witnesses, and conducted two recorded interrogations of Maya Hernandez.

The Temperature Recreation

Detective Dean Barthelmes conducted a scientific recreation to determine how hot the car would have gotten. Using Hernandez's actual vehicle under similar conditions, police found that:

• The 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid automatically shuts off after approximately one hour of parked inactivity
• The car shut off around 3:05 to 3:10 PM based on the timeline
• Within 15 minutes of the AC stopping, interior temperature rose 19.4 degrees
• By 4:33 PM when Hernandez returned, interior temperature reached 116 degrees
• A detective's body-worn camera automatically shut down at 4:16 PM due to "critical internal temperature"

The defense challenged this recreation, noting that it used only one car seat and no children. Detective Chad Ott defended the methodology at trial, but the defense argued the recreation couldn't perfectly replicate the conditions that day.

Witness Accounts

Witnesses at the scene painted a troubling picture. Ian Bleu, who was inside the spa when the emergency unfolded, later told reporters:

"She didn't even look like she cared. We were about to cry, and the cops thought we were the parents." — Ian Bleu, witness, speaking to TurnTo23 News

Gricelda Anaya, an employee at a neighboring business, offered her own assessment:

"My message to her is to accept the responsibility." — Gricelda Anaya, neighboring business employee

Maya Hernandez was arrested on June 29, 2025, the same day as the incident. She was booked into Kern County Jail on $1,080,000 bail, where she has remained throughout the proceedings.

The Charges Explained

Maya Hernandez faces multiple charges, but the primary charge, the one this entire trial has centered on, is second-degree murder under California Penal Code Section 187.

Second-Degree Murder and Implied Malice

In California, murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. There are two types of malice: express and implied.

Express malice means the defendant actually intended to kill. No one is arguing Maya Hernandez intended to kill her son. That's not the prosecution's theory.

Implied malice is different. Under California law, implied malice exists when:

That fourth element is the battleground in this case. "Conscious disregard for human life." The prosecution says Hernandez demonstrated exactly that. The defense says she was negligent, reckless even, but not consciously disregarding life. She believed the AC would stay on. She made assumptions. Bad assumptions. Fatal assumptions. But not murder.

The Potential Sentence

If convicted of second-degree murder in California, Maya Hernandez faces 15 years to life in state prison. The "to life" portion is significant. It means she would be eligible for parole after 15 years, but there's no guarantee of release.

Lesser Included Offenses

The defense has already conceded to two lesser charges:

• Involuntary Manslaughter: Killing without malice, through criminal negligence. Maximum sentence of 4 years.
• Child Endangerment: Willfully causing or permitting a child to suffer or be placed in a dangerous situation.

By conceding these charges, the defense is essentially telling the jury: "She's guilty of something. But she's not guilty of murder." It's a strategic decision that acknowledges the tragedy while fighting the most serious charge.

The Trial: Day by Day

The murder trial of Maya Hernandez began on December 8, 2025, in Kern County Superior Court. Under California court rules, cameras were only permitted during opening statements, closing arguments, and the verdict. The substantive testimony was not broadcast.

The Prosecution's Case

Prosecutor Stephanie Taconi has built the state's case on a foundation of conscious choices. Not accidents. Not oversights. Deliberate decisions that prioritized vanity over children's lives.

The prosecution's theory is straightforward: Maya Hernandez knew what she was doing was dangerous. She knew children die in hot cars. She was offered a safe alternative and rejected it. She made a conscious choice to leave her children in harm's way for over two hours while she socialized in an air-conditioned waiting room. That's not negligence. That's not an accident. That's conscious disregard for human life. That's murder.

The Defense's Case

Defense attorney Teryl Wakeman has a difficult job. She can't deny what happened. She can't claim Maya Hernandez is innocent. What she can do is argue that what happened, as terrible as it was, doesn't meet the legal definition of murder.

The defense's core argument comes down to one word: assumptions. Maya Hernandez assumed the car would stay running. She assumed the AC would stay on. She assumed her children would be safe. Those assumptions were wrong. Those assumptions killed her son. But assumptions, even fatal ones, aren't the same as consciously disregarding human life.

As Wakeman told the jury in opening statements: "The car was running, the air conditioner was running... Things in the business were running behind, and Ms. Hernandez stayed in the waiting room too long."

The Pathologist's Testimony

Dr. Paul Gliniecki's testimony may be the most important piece of evidence for the defense. As the forensic pathologist who performed Amillio's autopsy, his opinion carries significant weight.

Cause of Death

The cause of death was hyperthermia, commonly known as heat stroke. Amillio's body temperature at the hospital was 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit. An emergency room nurse testified this was the highest body temperature she had ever seen in a child. Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. At 107.2 degrees, the body's organs begin to fail. The brain swells. Cells die. The body essentially cooks from the inside.

Manner of Death: Accidental

This is where it gets legally significant. When determining a manner of death, medical examiners have five options: natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined. Dr. Gliniecki chose "accidental."

He testified that he felt "torn" about the classification. This wasn't an easy call. But ultimately, he determined that the death was an accident, not a homicide.

The distinction matters for the jury. Manner of death isn't a legal determination. It's a medical one. Dr. Gliniecki isn't saying Maya Hernandez shouldn't face charges. He's offering his medical opinion on how this death should be classified. But when a qualified forensic pathologist examines a body and concludes the death was accidental, that's powerful evidence for a defense arguing against murder charges.

The Police Interrogations

Two recorded police interviews with Maya Hernandez were played for the jury. These recordings contain some of the most damaging evidence against her, including admissions that the prosecution argues prove implied malice.

The First Interview: Hours After the Incident

The first interview was conducted just hours after Amillio was pronounced dead. According to trial testimony, Hernandez appeared "subdued but not openly crying."

During this interview, Hernandez described her actions that day. She said she left the car running with the AC on. She believed it would stay on because she "had been in her car for an extended period of time before and had even slept in her car." She didn't know about the automatic shutoff feature.

At the end of this interview, detectives told Hernandez that Amillio had died. According to testimony, she "hung her head, sobbed and repeated the same question":

"He's dead?" — Maya Hernandez, first police interview

Amillio's grandfather wept in the courtroom while watching this footage.

The Second Interview: Two Days Later

The second interview was conducted two days after the incident, after Hernandez had been arrested. This interview contained what prosecutors consider their most damaging evidence.

When Detective Kyle McNabb asked Hernandez what she thought could happen if she left her children in the car, she responded:

"What happened, I guess. I don't know." — Maya Hernandez, second police interview

This statement is significant. The prosecution argues it shows Hernandez understood the risk. She knew this could happen. When asked what could go wrong, her immediate answer was essentially "exactly what did happen."

She also made other statements during this interview:

• "I didn't leave him in there to die."
• She acknowledged knowing it was "stupid" and "irresponsible."
• She admitted she had "seen things in the news" about children dying in hot cars.
• Most significantly, she admitted she thought about the risks before leaving the children but had "no justification as to why she left them anyway."

That last admission is the heart of the prosecution's case. She thought about the risks. She had no justification. And she did it anyway. The prosecution argues that's the definition of conscious disregard for human life.

Maya Hernandez Takes the Stand

On December 15, 2025, the fifth day of trial, Maya Hernandez made a decision that many defendants avoid: she testified in her own defense.

Taking the stand is always a risk. It opens the defendant to cross-examination. It puts her credibility directly before the jury. But in a case where the central question is what was going through her mind, sometimes a defendant feels she has no choice but to tell her own story.

Hernandez testified tearfully. She described believing her boys would be safe. She explained that she didn't know the car would automatically shut off. She talked about her life as a single mother, working as a CNA, trying to provide for her family.

The prosecution played the 911 call during her testimony, forcing her to listen to herself frantically attempting CPR on her dying son. The jury watched her react to her own voice from that day.

After her testimony, both sides rested their cases. The trial moved to its final phase: closing arguments, scheduled for today.

Hot Car Deaths in America

Amillio Gutierrez is not alone. Hot car deaths are a recurring tragedy in the United States, and understanding the broader context helps frame the legal questions in this case.

According to data from KidsAndCars.org, at least 1,165 children have died from heatstroke after being left in vehicles in the United States since 1990. The average is 37 to 38 deaths per year. In 2024, 39 children died, a 35% increase from 2023.

California has recorded 69 such deaths, making it one of the states most affected by this phenomenon. Of those 69 deaths, 13 involved children who were knowingly left in vehicles, as opposed to children who were forgotten.

Legal Outcomes Vary Dramatically

How these cases are prosecuted depends heavily on one factor: whether the child was knowingly left or unknowingly forgotten.

When children are knowingly left in vehicles, as in the Hernandez case, 69% of cases result in conviction and only 9% go uncharged. The system treats intentional decisions to leave children differently than tragic memory failures.

The Justin Ross Harris Case

The most high-profile comparison to the Hernandez case is Justin Ross Harris of Georgia. In 2014, Harris left his 22-month-old son Cooper in a hot car for seven hours. The child died.

Harris was initially convicted of malice murder and sentenced to life without parole. But in June 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction. The reason wasn't that he was innocent. The court found that prosecutors had introduced prejudicial evidence about his extramarital affairs that unfairly influenced the jury.

In May 2023, prosecutors announced they would not retry Harris on murder charges. A man who left his child in a car for seven hours, resulting in death, walked free because of how the case was prosecuted, not because of what he did.

The Harris case illustrates how complicated these prosecutions can be. Even when the facts seem clear, legal outcomes depend on how evidence is presented, how juries interpret the law, and whether proper procedures are followed.

The Family's Response

The reaction of Amillio's family has been more nuanced than you might expect. While there's been anger and grief, there's also been surprising compassion for Maya Hernandez.

The Grandfather's Grace

Rosendo Gutierrez Sr., Amillio's grandfather, has expressed views that might surprise those expecting pure condemnation:

"I hold no grudges against anybody. And I feel sorry for the mom." — Rosendo Gutierrez Sr., victim's grandfather, per TurnTo23

The Grandmother's Defense

Katie Martinez, the children's paternal grandmother, the same woman Hernandez had an "altercation" with 26 days before the incident, described Hernandez as "a really good mom" who "always took her kids everywhere."

This testimony cuts both ways. It humanizes Hernandez. It suggests she wasn't a neglectful mother by nature. But it also reinforces the prosecution's point: she took her kids everywhere, including to Bakersfield that day, because she was their primary caregiver. She knew they depended on her. And she left them in a car.

The Funeral

The family organized a vigil with purple ribbons, a child safety symbol, and laid Amillio to rest in an open casket funeral in Porterville. The father, still incarcerated, attended via Zoom from jail. Mateo, the surviving brother, was brought from Child Protective Services custody to say goodbye to his sibling.

The Aunt's Message

Aunt Yadira Magana offered perhaps the most direct commentary:

"I can't fathom the thought of leaving my kids. And I was a young mom... Don't just leave your children in a car... Call for help." — Yadira Magana, victim's aunt

The Justice Lens: What We're Watching For

At Justice Is A Process, we don't watch trials to determine guilt or innocence. That's the jury's job. We watch to see whether the system works fairly, whether constitutional protections are honored, and whether justice is truly a process that respects everyone's rights.

The Legal Question

The core question in this case is profound: Where is the line between negligence and murder?

Everyone agrees Maya Hernandez made terrible choices. Everyone agrees those choices killed her son. The defense has conceded manslaughter and child endangerment. The question isn't whether she's responsible. The question is whether her responsibility rises to the level of implied malice murder.

California law requires the prosecution to prove that Hernandez "deliberately acted with conscious disregard for human life." That's a high bar. It's not enough to show she was careless. It's not enough to show she made bad decisions. The state must prove she consciously disregarded the danger to her children's lives.

The Evidence We're Weighing

Questions for the Jury

The jury will have to answer several difficult questions:

1. Did Maya Hernandez know her actions were dangerous to human life? (Her statements to police suggest yes.)
2. Did she deliberately act with conscious disregard for that danger? (This is where reasonable people might disagree.)
3. Does believing the AC would stay on negate conscious disregard? (The defense says yes; the prosecution says no.)
4. What weight should they give the pathologist's "accidental" classification?
5. What sentence is appropriate for what happened here?

The Broader Implications

This case will set a precedent. If Maya Hernandez is convicted of murder, it sends a message that leaving children in vehicles, even with AC running, even believing they're safe, can be prosecuted as murder if something goes wrong. That might deter future tragedies. It might also lead to murder charges in cases that genuinely are accidents.

If she's convicted only of manslaughter, it suggests the line between negligence and murder remains where it's always been: you have to prove conscious disregard, not just poor judgment.

Whatever the verdict, a one-year-old boy is dead. His mother's life is destroyed either way. The question is what label the law puts on what happened, and what that label means for the future.

What to Watch in Closing Arguments

Closing arguments begin at 9 AM Pacific Time, 12 PM Eastern Time, today, December 16, 2025. Cameras are permitted. Here's what to watch for.

The Prosecution Will Emphasize:

• Her admission that she thought about the risks and had "no justification"
• Her CNA training and awareness of heat dangers
• The ignored offer to bring children inside
• The two hours without checking on her children
• The 15-minute delay after discovery
• Her statement that what happened was "what could happen" when asked about risks

Expect prosecutor Stephanie Taconi to argue that all of these facts together demonstrate conscious disregard for human life. She'll likely emphasize that this wasn't a forgotten child. This was a deliberate choice, repeated over two hours, to prioritize a cosmetic procedure over children's safety.

The Defense Will Emphasize:

• The pathologist's "accidental" manner of death ruling
• Hernandez's genuine belief that the AC would stay on
• Her lack of knowledge about the auto-shutoff feature
• Her history as a devoted mother
• The difference between negligence and murder
• Reasonable doubt about whether this meets the legal standard for implied malice

Expect defense attorney Teryl Wakeman to argue that the prosecution has proven negligence but not murder. She'll likely ask the jury to consider whether a young mother making catastrophic assumptions, while terrible, is the same as consciously disregarding human life.

The Key Moment

Watch for how each side handles the pathologist's testimony. The fact that the medical examiner ruled this death "accidental" is a significant hurdle for the prosecution. They'll need to explain why the jury should find murder when the doctor who examined the body found an accident.

Where to Watch

Court TV has been the primary coverage hub for this trial. Closing arguments will be broadcast live starting at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET.