An Orange County woman who was arrested Friday in the death of her 3-year-old daughter, found unconscious and locked inside a sweltering car in Anaheim, had suffered the deaths of two other children at the hands of a drunken driver years earlier.
Sandra Hernandez-Cazares was arrested and charged in the death of her daughter, Ily Ruiz, who was found locked in the family car with Hernandez-Cazares in the 1300 block of Fashion Lane on Friday, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Twelve years earlier, Hernández-Cázares and her husband Juan Ruiz lost two children, Alaries Ruiz, 5, and Cyris Ruiz, 9. who were killed by a drunk driver who ran over their tent at a South Dakota campground while they were on a family vacation.
Ruiz's children had come from El Paso to visit their father, who worked nearby in the oil industry.
Police photo of Sandra Hernández.
(Orange County District Attorney)
After their deaths, Hernandez-Casarez and Ruiz advocated for tougher penalties for drunk drivers, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
“A mother who was robbed of the opportunity to see two of her children grow up because of a stranger’s selfish decision will have to live with the fact that she will never be able to see her little girl grow up because of the choices she made,” Spitzer said in a statement.
On Monday, Hernandez-Casarez was charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of child abuse causing great bodily harm. She could face 12 years in prison if convicted on all counts. Her bond is set at $150,000 and she is currently being held at a Santa Ana detention center.
A representative for Hernandez-Casarez was not available.
Concerned relatives first suspected something was wrong Friday when staff at the elementary school where the couple's 5-year-old son attended said no one came to pick up the boy, according to the district attorney's office.
A family member eventually called 911 after finding Hernandez-Casarez and Ily passed out inside a white Ford Expedition parked in front of the family's Anaheim apartment, according to the district attorney's office.
That day, the temperature outside the vehicle was 104 degrees. The temperature inside a car on a hot day can be 104 degrees. 20 to 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature in a matter of minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
Officers attempted to perform CPR on Ily before she and her mother were rushed to a hospital. Ily was pronounced dead at the medical center.
Anaheim police said the girl apparently died from complications of heat stroke. An official autopsy is still pending.
Police also discovered several empty alcohol bottles inside the truck, authorities said.
A family member posted a GoFundMe for funeral expenses that exceeded $10,000 as of Tuesday.
The post said Ruiz was in the process of moving to California from Texas to care for the family's 5-year-old son.
Detectives interviewed and arrested Hernandez-Casarez after he was released from hospital.
“The unimaginable pain of having your 5- and 9-year-old children killed by a drunk driver is something you can never recover from,” Spitzer said. “Anyone who has suffered such a devastating tragedy knows that the aftereffects of grief can be hidden, but the pain of losing your children will never go away.”
