A mother who had been drinking too much fell asleep in her car with her three-year-old daughter in California on Friday, where the daughter died of heatstroke.
Sandra Hernandez had already consumed several bottles of alcohol when a family member spotted her in her vehicle in Anaheim, the report said. NBC Los AngelesShe and her daughter, Ily, were found unconscious in the car. The temperature was around 40 degrees Celsius.
They were taken to a hospital, where the child was pronounced dead. The death is believed to be related to complications from heatstroke, the Anaheim Police Department said. The tragedy is not believed to be a suicide attempt.
Photo taken from Facebook | Juan Ruiz
The girl’s father, Juan Ruiz, told the Daily Mail that his ex-wife had started drinking at the beginning of her depression. “In my heart, I know it was an accident, but that doesn’t change the fact that she did what she did,” he said.
“I hate her so much right now,” he added.
The 41-year-old mother had already lost her two boys, aged five and nine, when a drunk driver drove over their tent during a weekend camping trip, US television station KTLA revealed.
Hernandez faces multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated child neglect. If convicted on all counts, she could face a 12-year prison sentence.