California Mother Arrested After Child Falls from SUV

A mother in California has been taken into custody on felony child abuse charges following a disturbing video that circulated online. The footage captures her 19-month-old child tumbling from a moving SUV at a busy intersection in Fullerton, according to police statements made on Monday.

The Fullerton Police Department confirmed that they were aware of the video depicting a black SUV swerving at an intersection, suddenly opening its passenger door, and the child falling onto the roadway.

The vehicle halted almost instantly, narrowly avoiding a collision with the car behind it. That vehicle came to a stop just in front of the child lying on the road.

In the video, an adult woman can be seen rushing from the driver’s side, picking up the child, placing them back inside the SUV, and then driving off.

A witness, shocked by the incident, called the police on Saturday and provided details about the SUV. Officers managed to locate the vehicle later at a home in La Habra, where they discovered the child along with the suspect, who is believed to be the woman in the footage.

Fortunately, police confirmed that the 19-month-old had sustained injuries but was taken to a local hospital and is expected to recover fully.

The mother, identified as 35-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez from La Habra, was arrested on a felony child abuse charge and is now in custody at the Fullerton City Jail.

Neighbors expressed disbelief over the situation, with one noting that it was hard to fathom that a parent would allow their child to be in such a perilous situation. “There’s no excuse for something like that,” a neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated.

Authorities believe the incident took place between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on January 20, but noted that they did not receive any emergency reports at that time.

The investigation is still active, and anyone with further information is encouraged to reach out to the Fullerton Police Department’s Sensitive Crimes Unit.