Infant Death Case: Court Orders Home Review Before Considering Bond for Mother

The Alexandria woman accused of leaving her 8-month-old baby boy in a hot car, causing the child's death, may be released on bond next week.

In the meantime, Arlington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Chief Judge Esther Wiggins on Wednesday appointed an attorney to help ensure the well-being of the woman's other four children. 

One or both of the children's grandmothers will live with them, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Molly Newton told Patch.

The Guardian ad Litem, an attorney, will examine the living environment next week and determine whether the children are appropriately cared for, Newton said. If so, the judge will release Hernandez on a $25,000 bond.

She is not to have unsupervised contact with her four other children, said Newton, who is handling the prosecution.

• 2 Dead Babies: How Does a Parent Forget a Child in a Hot Car?

Wiggins also agreed to sign an order to allow Hernandez to attend her infant's funeral once a date and time is set, Newton said.

Prosecutors did not oppose letting the woman attend the funeral, Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos told Patch.

Hernandez was charged with felony child neglect earlier this month after police said she left her 8-month-old boy in a car for six hours on a day that saw temperatures reach 90 degrees.

Hernandez realized the child had been in the car later, when picking up another one of her children from daycare. She immediately took the 8-month-old boy to the hospital.

The child's temperature was 108 degrees when he was pronounced dead at Inova Alexandria Hospital, according to WTOP.

Newton told the court that Hernandez "forgot" the child was in his carseat and was "just burning up to death," WTOP reported.

Defense attorney Rebecca Wade told the court that the carseat had a canopy, hiding him from Hernandez's view, according to WTOP.

A preliminary hearing is slated for Aug. 28, at which point a judge will decide whether enough probable cause exists for the case to move forward, Newton told Patch.

Hernandez works for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, according to WTOP.