Jacqueline Hernandez, a 35-year-old from La Habra, California, was arrested on January 26, 2026, for felony child abuse after video captured her 19-month-old child falling from the front passenger door of her moving black SUV. The incident occurred on January 20 around 8-9 a.m. at the N. Euclid St. and W. Malvern Ave. intersection in Fullerton, where the child tumbled into the roadway during a turn, narrowly avoiding being run over by the SUV and a following light-colored car.
Incident Details
A witness reported the event on January 24, providing vehicle details that led Fullerton police to Hernandez’s residence, where they found the SUV, child, and mother. The toddler sustained non-life-threatening injuries from the fall and was hospitalized but is expected to fully recover. Video shows Hernandez stopping abruptly, retrieving the child from the driver’s side, and fleeing the scene, prompting a chain-reaction near-collision with vehicles behind.
Legal Violations
California law mandates rear-facing car seats for children under 2 (unless over 40 lbs. or 40 inches), positioned in the back seat away from active airbags until age 8. The front-seat placement without proper restraint likely contributed to the felony charge under Penal Code § 273a (willful harm or endangerment of a child), potentially carrying 2-6 years in prison. No attorney status is reported, and the investigation continues—contact Detective H. Rios at Fullerton PD for tips.
This case echoes risks of non-compliance with child safety laws, amplified by the viral footage’s role in the arrest.
