Texas woman charged with murder after 15-month-old left in hot car, police say
Vanessa Esquivel arrested after police say she intentionally left her child for more than two hours in a vehicle without working air conditioning on a 95-degree day in Frisco, Texas.
A 27-year-old woman was charged with murder after police say she left her 15-month-old child unattended in a vehicle for more than two hours on a day when temperatures reached at least 95 degrees, resulting in the child's death.
Frisco Police Department detectives allege Vanessa Esquivel intentionally left the child in a car that did not have working air conditioning on Aug. 16. "Detectives believe Esquivel intentionally left her 15-month-old child for over two hours in a vehicle she knew did not have working air conditioning with an outside temperature of at least 95 degrees," the department said in a statement. Because the child died, investigators said "probable cause existed that Esquivel had committed murder."
Esquivel was arrested in Dallas on Aug. 20 and transferred to the Frisco Police Department the same day, officials said. She was booked at the Collin County Jail and is being held on a $250,000 bond. Police did not disclose a motive or provide additional details about the circumstances that led to the child's death.
The identity of the child has not been released. Frisco police said the investigation remains active, and did not provide further information about evidence or statements obtained during the probe.
The case will proceed through the local criminal justice system. Prosecutors will determine the formal charges to be pursued in court, and Esquivel is expected to appear for arraignment in the coming days, according to standard prosecutorial procedures in such cases.
Authorities and medical examiners typically examine the timeline, witness accounts, forensic evidence and the condition of the vehicle to establish cause and manner of death. Frisco police said only that detectives believe probable cause exists for a murder charge and did not elaborate on whether other charges were under consideration.
The Frisco Police Department asks anyone with information about the incident to contact detectives. The department also has not released whether any child welfare or social services agencies were involved prior to the incident.
The investigation into the child's death and Esquivel's alleged actions is ongoing, and the department said it will provide updates as appropriate.
