Law enforcement officials have confirmed that a mother was arrested for alleged felony child abuse after a viral video showed her 19-month-old child falling out of a moving vehicle at an intersection in California.
A video shared by Fox News on X, formerly Twitter, shows a toddler falling out of the passenger side of an SUV at an intersection in Fullerton, California. The video also shows an adult female quickly running out of the vehicle from the driver’s side before picking the toddler up and putting the young child back in the vehicle.
In a statement on Instagram, the Fullerton Police Department said officials were aware of a video on social media that showed a “small child” falling out of the passenger side of a moving vehicle at the N. Euclid Street and W. Malvern Avenue intersection.
“In the video, a black SUV is seen making an eastbound turn onto W. Malvern Ave. from southbound N. Euclid St. As the vehicle enters the intersection and completes the turn, the front passenger door opens and a small child falls to the ground and into the roadway,” the Fullerton Police Department stated. “The SUV immediately stops, nearly causing a traffic collision with the vehicle behind it. An adult female is then seen running from the driver’s side of the SUV, picking up the child, and returning to the vehicle before the video ends.”
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The police department explained that a witness reported the incident, which is believed to have taken place between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. on January 20, to law enforcement officials on Saturday and provided information regarding the vehicle involved in the incident. During a follow-up investigation by the police department, officers were able to locate the vehicle, the mother, and the child shown in the video at a residence in La Habra, California.
The Fullerton Police Department identified the child as a 19-month-old toddler and confirmed that the child sustained injuries that were “consistent with the fall.” The child was transported to a local hospital and is expected to fully recover. Law enforcement officials added that the mother, identified as 35-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez, was arrested and booked at the Fullerton City Jail for felony child abuse.
According to NBC 4, Hernandez was released from jail after posting $100,000 bail at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
