A Fullerton mother has been taken into custody on charges of felony child abuse after her young child was filmed falling from her moving SUV. The incident took place last week at the intersection of North Euclid Street and West Malden Avenue, according to an NBC Los Angeles report.
The child, 19 months old, fell out of the passenger side of the vehicle in the morning hours of January 20th. Surveillance footage that spread across social media shows the car immediately stopping as the driver, identified as 35-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez of La Habra, hurried to retrieve the child from the road. In the days following the incident, no immediate reports or complaints were lodged with authorities, NBC Los Angeles reported.
An eyewitness later came forward after the video gained attention online, ultimately enabling the Fullerton Police Department to track down the vehicle to Hernandez. Following her arrest, the toddler was hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery, as detailed in a FOX LA report.
It remains unclear how the SUV's passenger door became unlatched, or whether the child was properly secured in a car seat at the time of the fall. Police have not indicated if there were any other passengers present in the vehicle or if Hernandez has had any previous interactions with Child Protective Services. Nonetheless, the Fullerton Police Department is calling for additional witnesses in the case and has provided a contact number for Detective H. Rios for any relevant information or video of the incident.
As of now, Hernandez is still being held in custody pending further legal actions. The ongoing investigation by Fullerton police aims to clarify the circumstances leading to the alarming event and prevent such potential dangers to child passengers in the future. Any individual who may have supplementary details is encouraged to reach out to Fullerton police or submit tips anonymously through Orange County Crime Stoppers.
