A Michigan mother has been charged with the death of her toddler daughter after the girl became wedged between the driver’s seat and door of the mom’s pickup truck while she went into a store to get lunch for the dad.
The incident took place on October 9, 2024, in Grand Rapids, WOOD reported. Angelica Linda Arechiga, 27, has now been charged with child abuse-leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in death.
“Angelica left Juliet, an 18-month-old child unattended in a vehicle for a period of 15 minutes unrestrained and with no adult supervision which posed an unreasonable risk of harm or injury to Juliet, causing her death,” a probable cause affidavit says.
The toddler’s death certificate lists asphyxia by wedging as the cause of death and the manner of death an accident.
Arechiga reportedly left her three children and a fourth child she was babysitting in her vehicle while she went inside for about 15 minutes. When she returned, court documents say, she opened the door and the toddler fell out, not breathing. None of the children were secured in car seats, the report said.
“It appeared that Juliet had fallen backwards and her head/neck was caught between the driver’s seat and the door,” records say.
Arechiga was arraigned this week and released on a personal recognizance bond. She is due in court again later this month.
