A Collin County jury has sentenced Vanessa Esquivel to 25 years in state prison for the death of her 15-month-old child. The conviction follows a trial where jurors found the Dallas resident guilty of murder.
Esquivel, 28, was arrested in August 2025 after police investigated the incident in Frisco. Authorities stated that she left the toddler in her car for approximately two hours on a day when temperatures reached at least 95 degrees. The vehicle was parked in the 3200 block of Preston Road near her workplace.
According to police reports, Esquivel arrived at her job around 2 p.m. and left the child inside without air conditioning. The baby died as a result of the exposure. Investigators described the act as intentional.
Esquivel entered a plea of not guilty during court proceedings. On June 18, a jury returned a guilty verdict for murder. The same jury determined her sentence, imposing the 25-year prison term.
