A 19-month-old toddler is expected to make a full recovery after falling from a moving SUV at a busy Fullerton, California intersection, while the child’s mother now faces serious criminal charges.
Jacqueline Hernandez, 35, of La Habra, was arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse after shocking dashcam footage captured her toddler tumbling from the passenger side of her black SUV as she made a turn on Monday, January 20, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
The video shared by Fullerton Police Department shows the harrowing moment when the front passenger door opened, causing the child to fall onto the pavement in the middle of the intersection at N. Euclid St. and W. Malvern Ave.
In the footage, the toddler narrowly avoided being run over by both Hernandez’s vehicle and a light-colored car following behind. The mother can be seen abruptly stopping, rushing to pick up the child, returning to the driver’s seat, and driving away.
Police became aware of the incident after the video began circulating on social media. A witness came forward on Saturday, January 24, providing crucial information that helped authorities identify the vehicle.
“Officers conducted a follow-up investigation, which led them to a residence in the City of La Habra,” police said in a statement. “Officers located the vehicle, the child, and the female involved in the incident seen in the video.”
The toddler “sustained injuries consistent with the fall” and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but is expected to recover fully.
California law requires children under 2 years of age to ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of a vehicle unless they meet specific height and weight requirements. It remains unclear how the passenger door became unlatched or whether the child was properly secured at the time of the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Fullerton Police Department’s Sensitive Crimes Unit, Detective H. Rios, at 714-738-6782 or hrios@fullertonpd.org.
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