Vanessa Esquivel, 28, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of murder for the death of her 15-month-old son, whom she left alone in a hot car while she worked at a spa in Frisco, Texas.
Background
The incident occurred on Aug. 16, 2025, when temperatures reached 96 degrees. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KTVT, Esquivel brought her son with her to work at Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa knowing her vehicle's air conditioning was not functioning. She arrived at the spa at 1:45 p.m. and left her child alone in the car for the duration of her shift.
Esquivel completed her shift at 4:15 p.m. and returned to her vehicle, where she found her son in distress. Rather than proceeding directly to a hospital, she stopped at a McDonald's location before rushing him to Medical City Plano Hospital, arriving at 5:30 p.m., according to the affidavit.
The Investigation
Medical staff told police the boy was already deceased upon arrival at the hospital. Investigators recorded his body temperature at 106 degrees, consistent with fatal heat exposure. When officers questioned Esquivel at the hospital, she claimed she had been with her son all day and denied working a shift that day despite being in her work uniform bearing the spa's logo.
Detectives subsequently spoke with Esquivel's co-workers, who confirmed she had worked her full shift providing massage services to two clients and never brought the child inside the establishment. An employee reported that Esquivel did not exit the building until she departed for the day.
The following day, Esquivel contacted a co-worker to report her son's death. According to the affidavit, she stated she was "between a rock and a hard place" because she could find no one to watch the child during her shift. She claimed to have left him in the car with the air conditioner running—contradicting investigators' findings that the cooling system was non-functional.
The Verdict
Esquivel was charged with murder. A Collin County jury found her guilty on June 16, 2026. She was sentenced to 25 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Key Takeaways
- Esquivel left her 15-month-old son alone in a vehicle for approximately two and a half hours while working at a spa on a 96-degree day
- The child's body temperature measured 106 degrees upon arrival at Medical City Plano Hospital, where he was pronounced dead
- She stopped at McDonald's before proceeding to the hospital while her son was dying, according to investigators
- Esquivel initially lied to police about being at work and claimed she had been with her son all day
- Co-workers confirmed she completed a full shift without bringing the child inside the spa
What's Next
The sentence is final. Esquivel will begin serving her 25-year term in the Texas prison system.