3-Year-Old Girl Dies After Being Locked in Hot Car During California Heatwave
A tragic incident occurred in California, where a 3-year-old girl died after her mother allegedly locked both of them inside a car during a 104-degree heatwave. The event took place on September 6 at approximately 4 p.m., according to KCAL.
Authorities found the child, identified as Ily Elizabeth Ruiz, and her mother, 41-year-old Sandra Hernandez, unconscious in the vehicle when they arrived. A family member had pulled Ily from the car and attempted CPR before emergency responders reached the scene.
Both Ily and her mother were rushed to a hospital, where the young girl was pronounced dead, according to KNBC.
Sandra Hernandez was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child neglect. A woman, who identified herself as Hernandez’s great-aunt, confirmed that Hernandez had locked herself and her daughter in the car.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover Ily’s funeral costs. Nancy Salamanca, the organizer of the fundraiser, described Ily as a beautiful child with a loving and bubbly personality. “It’s still hard to wrap our minds around the thought that Ily is no longer with us,” Salamanca wrote. “She has been tragically taken from our family in such an unfathomable way.”
Authorities are unsure how long Hernandez and Ily were inside the hot car. However, police do not believe it was a murder-suicide attempt, according to KNBC.
The investigation remains ongoing.
