OC mother charged after toddler died in locked car had blood-alcohol level nearly 4 times legal limit

3-year-old girl dies in hot car

Ily Ruiz and her mother were both found unconscious inside a hot car. The three-year-old ended up dying in the incident while her mother faces a felony child abuse charge.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A mother who was found unconscious in a locked vehicle with her 3-year-old toddler during a blistering heatwave in Anaheim was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter.

Sandra Hernandez Cazares, 41, was also charged with a felony count of child abuse and endangerment with a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury on a child younger than 5, according to court records.

She did not enter a plea Tuesday at her arraignment in the jail courtroom. Her arraignment was rescheduled for Oct. 1 in the North Justice Center in Fullerton.

According to the Anaheim Police Department, the toddler - identified as Ily Ruiz - and her mother were found in the 1300 block of Fashion Lane around 4:20 p.m. Friday after someone reported a medical emergency.

3-year-old girl found dead in hot car

A mom is facing manslaughter charges after her 3-year-old daughter was found dead inside a hot car in Orange County.

The unconscious 3-year-old had been removed from the car by a family member. She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The mother was also transported to the hospital and was released Monday.

According to Anahiem Police, the preliminary cause of death is suspected to be complications from heat stroke, though the official autopsy report is still pending.

On Tuesday, doctors reported that Ily had to have been dead for several hours when she was found in the vehicle, according to prosecutors.

Ily Ruiz died after she was locked inside a car, with her mother, during a dangerous heat wave in Southern California. / GoFundMe

The temperature that day was 104°F. It would have been a great deal hotter in the vehicle, Anaheim police Sgt. Matt Sutter explained.

Police found multiple empty alcohol bottles in the vehicle. The woman's blood-alcohol level was .30, nearly four times the legal limit for driving, prosecutors alleged.

Hernandez was arrested and booked Monday.

Ruiz was remembered as "a beautiful and innocent soul with a very loving and bubbly personality," according to a GoFundMe created by family to assist with the toddler's funeral and memorial.