Porterville mother sentenced to 15 years for death of son who was left in hot car

KERN COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A South Valley father broke down following the sentence of a Porterville mother convicted in the death of her son, who was left in a hot car for hours last year.

20-year-old Maya Hernandez was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday after accepting a plea deal back in February.

Prosecutors say Hernandez left her two young sons, one-year-old Amillio Gutierrez and his two-year-old brother strapped in their car seats outside a Bakersfield med spa last June.

Amillio died after being hospitalized. His older brother survived.

Rosendo Gutierrez, Amilio's father, who made his first appearance in court after being released from jail, said he doesn't believe the punishment matched the crime.

"I just don't think 15 years is enough. From experiencing going to jail, I know there's a lot of programs that could get her out," Gutierrez said. "This should have never happened... it just kills me."

The judge says Hernandez has served more than 280 days of her sentence throughout the trial process.