A Texas mother has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the first-degree murder of her 15-month-old child, whom she left in a sweltering car for several hours on August 16 of last year.
Vanessa Esquivel, 28, was convicted of intentionally leaving her toddler in the vehicle while she worked a shift at a spa in Frisco, Texas. Police stated that the car's air conditioning was not functional and the outside temperature reached at least 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Children that small should never be left unattended in a car, especially in the summertime and especially in Texas," lead prosecutor Ashleigh Woodall told People after the sentencing. "Every year this happens, and we hate it. Jury is sending a message."
Esquivel told police she had been driving the toddler around because her car's air conditioning was not working, and that she had not gone to work that day. However, Frisco police confirmed with the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa that Esquivel had worked a shift from approximately 1:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on the day of the incident.
Investigators confirmed that Esquivel made a stop at a McDonald's on her way to Medical City Plano hospital, where her child was later pronounced dead. In a recorded phone call with a coworker the following day, Esquivel reportedly stated she had been "between a rock and a hard place" due to a lack of childcare and admitted the incident was "her fault," believing she would be arrested.