Today in Anaheim, Orange County, a 42-year-old mother and her 3-year-old daughter were found locked in a car, with the mother passed out and the little girl tragically found dead. This incident occurred during an extreme heatwave in Southern California. The mother is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Sandra Hernandez-Cazares, the woman involved, was found unconscious in the car with her blood alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit of 0.08%, while the outdoor temperature exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
On September 6th afternoon, Hernandez-Cazares’ 5-year-old son was waiting at school for his mother to pick him up. School staff contacted other family members after repeated attempts to reach her. Eventually, her family found her and her daughter, Ily Ruiz, locked inside a Ford vehicle in front of her apartment. Medical professionals estimate that Ruiz had passed away several hours before being discovered.
Police found several empty alcohol bottles inside the car. If convicted on all counts, Hernandez-Cazares faces up to 12 years in prison. She has been detained with a bail set at $150,000. Her 5-year-old son has been placed in the care of her sister.
Juan Ruiz and Hernandez-Cazares have four children together but were not married, according to city news sources. “She didn’t want to marry me,” said Ruiz. “I asked her twice, and she refused. We would occasionally be together; she is the mother of my children.”
In 2012, while vacationing in South Dakota with their two sons, a drunk driver crashed into their tent at a campsite, resulting in the deaths of their 5 and 9-year-old sons, with Ruiz narrowly surviving.
After the tragedy, Ruiz and Hernandez-Cazares had campaigned together to advocate for stricter penalties for drunk driving offenses at the state legislative level.
“Sandra Hernandez-Cazares’ 5 and 9-year-old children were killed by a drunk driver. This unimaginable pain can never be compensated for,” said District Attorney Spitzer. “The heartbreak of losing a child will never disappear… Now she must face this reality, unable to see her daughter grow up because of her choices.”
Father Ruiz described Ily as his princess who enjoyed the character Elsa from “Frozen”, coloring, and assisting him with cooking. He believes the mother of his children is not a bad mother but struggling to cope with the loss of her child. “I am certain she suffered from postpartum depression after giving birth to our daughter, leading to irresponsible choices… but she didn’t do this on purpose.”
Ruiz also mentioned his intention to address custody matters regarding their son in court, hoping to have him live with him. He expressed gratitude for the support received through GoFundMe, raising tens of thousands of dollars to assist him in caring for his son.