Despicable mother 'went to McDonald's' on way to take dying son to hospital after leaving him in hot car'
A Texas mother has been outed for allegedly leaving her baby to die in a hot car - and even stopping at McDonalds while he was succumbing to heatstroke.
Vanessa Esquivel, 27, from Dallas, 'intentionally' left her 15-month-old child in a 95 degree vehicle for more than two hours while she was at work on August 16, Frisco Police said.
Esquivel arrived at her workplace on Preston Road, northern Dallas, at around 2pm that day, and took the infant to Medical City Plano Hospital at 5.30pm.
Law enforcement said she arrived with the baby at the emergency department saying he had fallen sick, but medics told her the child was already dead.
Frisco Police officers detained Esquivel on August 20 and charged her with murder.
According to her arrest affidavit, Esquivel made a stop at McDonalds while driving from her workplace to the hospital as her son lay dying in the car.
Esquivel is being held at the Collin County Jail with her bond set at $250,000.
She faces a first-degree murder charge, which carries a penalty of five years to life in prison.
Texas mother Vanessa Esquivel (pictured) has been outed for allegedly leaving her baby dying in a hot car - and even stopping at McDonalds while he was succumbing to heat stroke
Esquivel arrived at her workplace on Preston Road, northern Dallas, at around 2pm that day, and took the infant to Medical City Plano Hospital (pictured) at 5.30pm
Pictured: Accused murder mom Esquivel's workplace on Preston Road in northern Dallas
'Based on information gathered during the investigation, Frisco Detectives believed probable cause existed that Esquivel had committed murder, as her intentionally leaving the child in the car caused injury/endangered the child, which is a felony,' the department said in a press release.
'Because it resulted in the child's death, her actions met the statutory requirements of murder.'
It comes after an adorable toddler died two days before his second birthday when he was left in a hot car by his foster father for more than eight hours, police said.
Esquivel, 27, from Dallas, 'intentionally' left her son in a 95 degree vehicle, police said
Hudley Owen Hamlett was found unresponsive in early August after his legal guardian, Brian Dalton, left him in a hot car while he went to work in Virginia, officials said.
The tragedy was uncovered when Dalton arrived at the Chestnut Academy day care at about 3.30pm to pick Hudley up but was informed the toddler had not been dropped off that day.
That's when Hudley was discovered strapped in the back of the vehicle Dalton had driven to work that morning.
Dalton had left the boy in his car as he worked an eight-hour shift and did not realize it until he went to the daycare in the afternoon, according to officials.
Staff at the daycare and first responders attempted life-saving measures but Hudley was pronounced dead at a hospital, as reported by ABC 13.
Hudley Owen Hamlett died two days before his second birthday after he was left in a hot car
Brian Dalton left the boy in the car for over eight hours as he went to work, cops said
A heartbreaking image from the scene shows the boy's shoe and backpack on the ground
Temperatures in Amherst County, about a 120-mile drive from Richmond, reached 88 degrees on Thursday afternoon.
Dalton was taken into custody at the scene and was charged with abuse and neglect of children and involuntary manslaughter.
'It's just a tragedy that you never, never expect to happen, never should happen, but it's unfortunate that it did,' said Amherst County Sheriff L.J. Ayers.
'As a man of faith, I would have to say that the only consolation that I can find in this is this little fella has faced many challenges in his short life. Now, he has the ability to grow and flourish without life's challenges in his eternal home.'
