Mother Released After Toddler Falls from Moving SUV
A mother in Southern California has been released following her arrest for child endangerment related to a viral video that depicted her young child falling from a moving SUV at an intersection in Fullerton, which is near Anaheim.
The footage captures a black SUV making a turn from North Euclid Street onto West Malvern Avenue. As the vehicle entered the intersection, the passenger door unexpectedly opened, leading the child to tumble onto the road. Remarkably, the SUV halted almost immediately, narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle behind it.
Shortly thereafter, an adult woman exited the driver’s side, picked up the child, and returned to the SUV, as seen in the video. Although the incident occurred on January 20, it wasn’t reported until a weekend call from a witness, Natalie Quintanilla, a mother of four, prompted police involvement.
Quintanilla expressed her shock and concern, commenting, “I felt a mix of emotions, from anger to worry to shock. This was something that could have been easily avoided.”
Police were informed about the incident on Saturday and, after obtaining information about the vehicle involved, were able to trace it to a residence in La Habra. There, they found both the child and the mother, identified as 35-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez.
The 19-month-old girl sustained injuries from the fall and was taken to a local hospital, where she’s expected to recover fully. Hernandez was arrested on charges of felony child abuse and booked into jail, although her mugshot has not been publicly released at this time.
Reports show that Hernandez posted $100,000 bail early Tuesday morning and was later released. While the toddler received treatment, it remains uncertain whether she will be returned to Hernandez’s custody.
A neighbor came to Hernandez’s defense, remarking, “Sometimes we make mistakes. I can almost guarantee that something like what happened to her will never happen again.” Meanwhile, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case but has yet to file formal charges against Hernandez.
