PLANO, Texas — A Texas mother is heading to prison after leaving her 15-month-old son to die in a hot car while she worked — then stopping at McDonald’s on the way to the emergency room.
Vanessa Esquivel, 28, was convicted of murder following her toddler’s death on Aug. 16, 2025.
She left him in the heat and went inside
Esquivel brought her son to work at Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa but left him alone in the car.
It was 96 degrees outside. Her air conditioning was broken — and she knew that before she walked in.
She completed her full shift, serving two clients. She never went back to check on him.
A McDonald’s run while he was dying
When Esquivel returned to her car at 4:15 p.m., her son was unresponsive.
Instead of driving straight to the hospital, she stopped at McDonald’s to order food.
Her son was already dead when they arrived at Medical City Plano Hospital at 5:30 p.m. His body temperature was 106 degrees.
She lied — her co-workers told the truth
At the hospital, Esquivel told police she had been with her son all day. Officers noticed her spa uniform and asked about her shift. She denied working.
Her co-workers confirmed she worked the full shift and never stepped outside to check on her child.
The next day, she called a co-worker and admitted she had been “between a rock and a hard place” because she could not find a babysitter. She asked the co-worker to stay quiet with police.
The jury found her guilty of murder on June 16 and sentenced her to 25 years in prison.
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