A woman from Orange County has been arrested in connection with an incident in Fullerton in which a toddler fell onto a roadway from a moving vehicle, after video of the moment spread widely online. Police say the child, aged 19 months, was hurt in the fall and was treated at hospital, but is expected to recover.
Authorities say the footage places the incident at North Euclid Street and West Malvern Avenue. As an SUV makes a turn onto Malvern, the passenger-side front door is shown not fully shut, and the child ends up on the street. A car following behind stops in time, preventing a crash involving the SUV or the toddler. The video then shows a woman getting out from the driver’s side, lifting the child and returning to the vehicle.
Investigators estimate the incident took place on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, during the morning window between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. They say they began working the case after the clip circulated publicly. Police later received information from a witness that helped them trace the vehicle and identify the child’s mother. Officers subsequently located the SUV, the child and the woman involved.
Fullerton police identified the mother as Jacqueline Hernandez, 35, from La Habra, and said she was arrested and booked into the city jail on suspicion of child abuse. The case remains with prosecutors, who are assessing what charges should be filed. She was charged with misdemeanour child abuse, with her court date set for February 26th. This post will be updated as soon as details are released…