A Texas mother has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after a jury convicted her of murder in the death of her 15-month-old son. Vanessa Esquivel left the child in a hot car while she worked at a spa on August 16, 2025.
Vanessa Esquivel, 28, intentionally left her son in the vehicle on a 96-degree day in the Dallas area. She knew the air conditioning was broken when she arrived at the Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa around 1:45 p.m. and worked a full shift without checking on him.
Esquivel returned to the car at 4:15 p.m. She stopped for food at a McDonald's before taking the boy to Medical City Plano Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival with a body temperature of 106 degrees.
Police found inconsistencies in her statements and confirmed through co-workers that she had been inside the spa the entire time. Esquivel was convicted on June 16 and received the prison term shortly afterward.