BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern County Coroner's Office has determined that 1-year-old Amilio Gutierrez died of heat stroke after being left in a hot car for hours, ruling the manner of death as accidental.
Despite the coroner's ruling, felony charges against the child's mother remain unchanged. Maya Hernandez faces several felony counts, including first-degree murder, in connection with her son's death.
Police said Hernandez left Amilio and another child in a car for hours while she went to a medical spa on June 29. The baby died as a result of the prolonged exposure to extreme heat inside the vehicle.
The Kern County District Attorney's Office said the coroner's ruling does not affect the criminal case against Hernandez. Officials explained that the medical definition for manner of death differs from the legal definition used in criminal proceedings.
"It doesn't change anything," the District Attorney's Office said regarding the charges.
The case highlights the distinction between how medical examiners classify deaths and how prosecutors pursue criminal charges in cases involving child endangerment and death.
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