CA - June Love Agosto, 2, dies after mom leaves her in car w/heater on while getting drunk, Sep 2019

[EvilOlivE]

Authorities are investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl who was left in a car with the heater on and windows rolled up for more than five hours while her mother drank with a friend nearby, records show.

After first telling officials she left the child alone for only a few minutes while she knocked on a babysitter's door, she ultimately admitted that was not the case, according to the coroner's report.

The girl's mother told investigators she left the child in the car, alone, about 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, then got into another vehicle nearby to drink alcohol with a friend, according to the coroner's report. The woman said she turned on the car's heater and placed a blanket on her daughters lap so she wouldn't get cold.

The woman reported that she fell asleep and awoke about 5 a.m., the report stated. She checked on the toddler and found she was unresponsive in her car seat.

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson

WHY would you turn the heat on when it's in the 70's outside? I don't think this was an accident...

 

[in search of]

Authorities are investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl who was left in a car with the heater on and windows rolled up for more than five hours while her mother drank with a friend nearby, records show.

After first telling officials she left the child alone for only a few minutes while she knocked on a babysitter's door, she ultimately admitted that was not the case, according to the coroner's report.

The girl's mother told investigators she left the child in the car, alone, about 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, then got into another vehicle nearby to drink alcohol with a friend, according to the coroner's report. The woman said she turned on the car's heater and placed a blanket on her daughters lap so she wouldn't get cold.

The woman reported that she fell asleep and awoke about 5 a.m., the report stated. She checked on the toddler and found she was unresponsive in her car seat.

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson

WHY would you turn the heat on when it's in the 70's outside? I don't think this was an accident...

I heard this one the other day and was hoping someone would make a post since I didn't have a link.

This wasn't an accident, in my opinion, no one living in this area uses a heater at this time of year. It's still open windows and air conditioning weather.

 

[Cali123]

I live in Southern California and there’s no way anyone would have the heaters on in their car. It’s been in the 70’s/80’s at night so if anything I put the air on so my daughter doesn’t get hot. Another beautiful baby gone due to horrible parents.

 

[EvilOlivE]

I read in another article (which I can't find again) that the skin was coming off her back and that she had burns. Does being left in a hot car actually cause the skin to burn and slough off?

 

[borndem]

I read in another article (which I can't find again) that the skin was coming off her back and that she had burns. Does being left in a hot car actually cause the skin to burn and slough off?

Hmmm, sounds awful and possibly suspicious, IMH I'm-not-a-doctor-or-a-nurse Opinion.
Here is one article that refers to "burned" and then "peeling"skin. I'll see what else I can find.

2-year-old girl died in hot car while mom was drinking: cops
[...]
June Love Agosto was found burned and unconscious Sept. 22 inside a vehicle in West Carson, California, with a temperature of 107.5 degrees, KTLA5 reported Sunday.
[...]
When she checked on June, “vomit was present on her shirt and in the car seat” and her skin was peeling, according to the report.

https://nypost.com/2019/09/30/2-year-old-girl-died-in-hot-car-while-mom-was-drinking-cops/

Another:

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson

Posted 9:43 PM, September 29, 2019, by Brian Day, Updated at 11:21PM, September 29, 2019
[...]
"Vomit was present on her shirt and the car seat. Skin was coming off the decedent's back," the report said. "(The mother) places her on the grass and sprayed her with the water hose in an attempt to cool her down. The decedent was taken into the house and a call was placed to 911."

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson

 

[borndem]

Her body temp was said to be 107.5 degrees. Mom must have had the heat of the car on a very high level, seems to me.
Maybe she was so inebriated that she couldn't see what the heat setting was -- I'm not making excuses for her, but this is just off, off, off.
Of course, 5 hours is a long time at any elevated heat setting, especially when the weather is moderate, IMO.

 

[EvilOlivE]

Another:

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson[/QUOTE]

thank you PP! This is the article that I had read but couldn't find again. I just don't understand how dying of heat would actually cause burns on the skin. I will be following to see what the autopsy determines.

 

[in search of]

Another:

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Car With Heater on for 5 Hours While Mother Allegedly Drank With Friend in West Carson

thank you PP! This is the article that I had read but couldn't find again. I just don't understand how dying of heat would actually cause burns on the skin. I will be following to see what the autopsy determines.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure the circumstances fit here. It is possible the heat caused the oils from her skin to blister, but I don't know that the car would have been hot enough for that.

 

[in search of]

Mother of Toddler Who Died After Allegedly Being Left in Car With Heater On in West Carson Arrested

Lacey Mazzarella, 34, of Rancho Palos Verdes was taken into custody about 8:00 p.m. and booked on suspicion of murder, according to Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Information Bureau.

Her daughter, June Love Agosto, died Sept. 23after she was brought to a hospital, according to a Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner report. The child had been covered with a blanket and left in a car by her mother, with the vehicle's heater on, while Mazzarella allegedly sat in a car with a friend nearby and drank alcohol.

 

[borndem]

Well, the arrest is no surprise to us, I'm sure.

Little June Love looks so healthy and perfect in the pics in the "arrest" article, it makes me wonder if the mother was just an idiot about keeping the little girl warm, or drugged-up, or drunk as a skunk.
It will be interesting to see how they charge her beyond suspicion of murder. Charge her with what? Involuntary manslaughter? If not "involuntary," I don't see "voluntary," I see 1st Degree murder, what with the heat on and the blanket, etc., that she did herself. What made her think she needed to do what she did to keep her beautiful daughter warm?
No excuses, but I'm not sure how to think about the level of crime with which she may be charged

 

[Jewels53]

A woman in California was arrested and charged Friday with the death of her daughter after allegedly leaving her alone in a running car overnight with the heater on and a blanket covering her, according to officials.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Friday that 34-year-old Lacey Ana Mazzarella of Rancho Palos Verdes has been charged with one count each of murderand child neglect resulting in death.

....
During her arraignment on Friday afternoon, Mazzarella entered a not guilty plea as a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23, according to KTLA.

Prosecutors said the 34-year-old faces up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted as charged. Bail was requested by prosecutors at $1.15 million, the DA's office said.

California mother charged with murder after toddler left in car for hours with heater on

I just now read about this on Fox News. What a horrible thing this so called mother did.

RIP sweet baby June!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The Coroner's report spelled the child's last name as Augosto but family members corrected the spelling.

An autopsy was performed, but her cause of death was yet to be determined pending the results of further forensic tests.

June Love Agosto, 2, of Rancho Palos Verdes, pictured in an undated photo provided by family.

"Vomit was present on her shirt and the car seat. Skin was coming off the decedent's back," the report said. "(The mother) places her on the grass and sprayed her with the water hose in an attempt to cool her down. The decedent was taken into the house and a call was placed to 911."

Paramedics took the girl to a hospital, but she could not be saved, officials said. Paramedics noted apparent burns to the girls face, chest and arms, as well as cloudiness in her eyes, the report stated. "Her temperature upon arrival was 107.5 degrees."

Investigators learned the mother had a history of drug abuse and lost custody of an older child six years ago due to neglect. The child was taken during a drug bust in which the mother and a man were arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sale, operating a drug factory and risk of injury to a minor in Connecticut, the Norwich Bulletin reported.

Toddler dies after mom allegedly left her in car with heat on and went drinking

 

[borndem]

Gee, selling cocaine, huh?! Who could've imagined that?
I imagine that they're awaiting a tox report on this little angel who was baked to death.
Just dammit.

 

[in search of]

A woman in California was arrested and charged Friday with the death of her daughter after allegedly leaving her alone in a running car overnight with the heater on and a blanket covering her, according to officials.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced Friday that 34-year-old Lacey Ana Mazzarella of Rancho Palos Verdes has been charged with one count each of murderand child neglect resulting in death.

....
During her arraignment on Friday afternoon, Mazzarella entered a not guilty plea as a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23, according to KTLA.

Prosecutors said the 34-year-old faces up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted as charged. Bail was requested by prosecutors at $1.15 million, the DA's office said.

California mother charged with murder after toddler left in car for hours with heater on

I just now read about this on Fox News. What a horrible thing this so called mother did.

RIP sweet baby June!

How can she only be facing 15 years in prison?

 

[Peppery]

I’ll throw moo in the ring, June was likely in the car a lot longer than 5 hours. Probably beginning when the sun was still out and it heated the car much faster/higher temp. June probably struggled to get out of her seat until she couldn’t anymore. I know it varies a lot but many 2 year olds can unbuckle their car seats. I wonder if she had recently turned two or was closer to turning three? Was anyone else present when mom removed her from the car and sprayed her with the hose? I hope that is just the reporters odd wording, because the image in my mind of a mom hosing down a dead child laying in the grass is especially horrific.