An Anaheim mother, Sandra Hernandez-Cazares, is facing involuntary manslaughter and child abuse charges after her three-year-old daughter, Ily Ruiz, was found dead in a locked car with her. Hernandez-Cazares was discovered drunk and passed out in the vehicle, with a blood alcohol content of .30 percent, four times the legal limit. The family had been alerted by a school about her 5-year-old son not being picked up, leading to the tragic discovery.
The young girl had been deceased for several hours before being found, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees outside the car. Empty alcohol bottles were also found inside the SUV. This incident comes after Hernandez-Cazares had advocated for stricter DUI laws following the deaths of her two sons in a drunk driving accident in 2012.
The family described Ily as a loving and bubbly child in a heartbreaking statement on GoFundMe. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer spoke out about the devastating impacts of losing children to tragic circumstances.
Hernandez-Cazares is set to appear in court on October 1 and if convicted, could face up to 12 years in prison. The heartbreaking incident serves as a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving and leaving children unattended in vehicles, highlighting the need for stricter laws and awareness regarding child safety.
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