California mom arrested after baby flies out of moving SUV

A mother has been arrested in Orange County, California, after video showed her 19-month-old child falling out of a moving SUV while it was turning at an intersection in Fullerton, police said.

The incident happened between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on January 20, according to the Fullerton Police Department. Authorities said they became aware of the case only after dashcam video began circulating on social media. No 911 calls were made at the time of the incident.

The video shows the front passenger door swinging open as the black SUV turns left from Malvern Avenue onto Euclid Street, causing the toddler to tumble onto the roadway. The SUV then stops abruptly, nearly triggering a rear-end crash, police said.

A woman is seen exiting the driver’s side, picking up the child, and placing them back inside the vehicle before driving off.

Four days later, a witness contacted police. Investigators tracked the SUV to a home in La Habra, where they located the child and the driver. The woman was identified as 35-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez, the child’s mother.

Hernandez was arrested and booked on felony child abuse charges. Police said the child suffered injuries consistent with the fall and was hospitalized but is expected to make a full recovery.