GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — A Michigan mother who left her 18-month-old daughter to die in her pickup truck while running a quick errand has been sentenced to just 45 days in jail and two years of probation, sparking outrage and reflection over preventable child deaths inside vehicles.
Angelica Arechiga, 27, pleaded no contest in August to child abuse: leaving a child in a vehicle resulting in death — a charge that officials say has never before been applied in Kent County.
The case stems from the October 2024 death of her toddler, Julieta Magdalena, who police say suffocated between the driver’s seat and car door while unrestrained. Her three young siblings were reportedly inside the truck at the time of the tragedy.
Tragic Moment That Changed Everything
Investigators said Arechiga parked her pickup truck outside a grocery store near South Division Avenue and Hall Street in Grand Rapids to grab lunch for her husband. She allegedly left Julieta and her other children inside the vehicle — unrestrained — for about 15 minutes…