Police: Texas Mom Left Toddler in Hot Car 'Intentionally'

A Texas mother is facing a murder charge after authorities say she "intentionally" left her 15-month-old child in a parked car for more than two hours on a 95-degree day. The child did not survive. Vanessa Esquivel, 27, allegedly left her toddler inside a vehicle without working air conditioning while she was at work in Frisco on August 16, according to a press release from the Frisco Police Department. Investigators believe Esquivel arrived at work around 2pm and knowingly left the child in the sweltering car.

Frisco officers say they were alerted to the case after the child was brought to a hospital in nearby Plano, reports ABC News. Esquivel was taken into custody by Dallas police on Aug. 20 and is being held in Collin County Jail on a $250,000 bond. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Esquivel could face a sentence ranging from five years to life in prison.