FULLERTON, Calif. — A California woman was arrested on suspicion of child abuse after a video that went viral showed a 19-month-old child falling out of an SUV at a busy intersection in Fullerton, police said.
According to the Fullerton Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Jacqueline Merie Hernandez, 35, of LaHabra, was arrested on Jan. 25 and booked into the Fullerton City Jail “for felony child abuse.”
Hernandez was identified as the child’s mother.
Investigators believe that the incident occurred on Jan. 20 between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. PT, KCBS reported.
Video that circulated online and was later posted by the police department showed a black Mercedes-Benz making a left turn at Malvern Avenue and Euclid Street in Fullerton. The video showed the passenger door opening and the child falling onto the street, The Orange County Register reported.
Sharing: The Fullerton Police Department became aware of a video circulating on social media depicting a small child falling from the passenger side of a moving vehicle at the intersection of N. Euclid St. and W. Malvern Ave.
— Crime Survivors (@crimesurvivors) January 27, 2026
In the video, a black SUV is seen making an… pic.twitter.com/dgHF9bHbqH
The SUV immediately stopped, nearly causing a crash with the car behind it, police said.
“An adult female is then seen running from the driver’s side of the SUV, picking up the child, and returning to the vehicle before the video ends,” Fullerton police said in its news release.
The child sustained injuries and was taken to an area hospital for treatment, KCBS reported. According to police spokesperson Kristy Wells, the toddler had not received any medical attention until Hernandez was arrested, according to the Register.
The child was expected to make a full recovery, police said.
Wells told the Register that detectives saw the video online but it “didn’t provide any identifying info to follow up on.”
Wells added that a witness came forward four days after the incident with information about the SUV. That led officers to find the vehicle and identify the child’s mother, according to the newspaper.
A 35-year-old woman was arrested for child endangerment after her child fell from a moving vehicle in Fullerton.https://t.co/gQiDoBcHyy
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) January 27, 2026
Police said they are seeking additional witnesses in the case, KNBC reported. An investigation is ongoing.
Hernandez was released on Jan. 27 at 3:27 a.m. PT, according to online booking records.
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