Topline: The child died after being left in a vehicle without working A/C during near-triple-digit temperatures, according to police.
Published: August 30, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Vanessa Esquivel (via Frisco Police Department)
PLANO, TX — A Dallas woman is facing a murder charge after authorities say she “intentionally” left her infant in a hot car for more than two hours during heat conditions nearing the triple digits.
According to a statement released by the Frisco Police Department on August 28, 27-year-old Vanessa Esquivel was arrested following an investigation that began after Plano Police alerted Frisco authorities to the suspicious death of a 15-month-old child on August 16.
Detectives responded to Medical City Plano, and learned Esquivel had driven to her workplace, located in the 3200 block of Preston Road in Frisco, around 2:00 p.m.
Investigators believe Esquivel “intentionally left her 15-month-old child for over two hours in a vehicle she knew did not have working air conditioning.”
Police noted an outside temperature of at least 95 degrees, which is backed up by data from AccuWeather.
Esquivel’s actions—knowingly leaving the child in extreme heat—constituted a felony offense by endangering the child and causing injury, ultimately resulting in death. Under Texas law, the incident met the statutory definition of murder.
A warrant for Esquivel’s arrest was issued shortly after the findings.
She was taken into custody by Dallas Police on August 20 and transferred the same day into Frisco Police custody before being booked into the Collin County Jail. Her bond was set at $250,000.
The charge, a first-degree felony, carries a potential sentence ranging from five years to life in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.
The investigation remains active, and the Frisco Police Department is encouraging anyone with additional information to contact their non-emergency line at 972-292-6010 or to send anonymous tips via Tip411 by texting FRISCOPD and the message to 847411.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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By Jacob Charles
Published: August 30, 2025 8:00 am ET
Vanessa Esquivel (via Frisco Police Department)
PLANO, TX — A Dallas woman is facing a murder charge after authorities say she “intentionally” left her infant in a hot car for more than two hours during heat conditions nearing the triple digits.
According to a statement released by the Frisco Police Department on August 28, 27-year-old Vanessa Esquivel was arrested following an investigation that began after Plano Police alerted Frisco authorities to the suspicious death of a 15-month-old child on August 16.
Detectives responded to Medical City Plano, and learned Esquivel had driven to her workplace, located in the 3200 block of Preston Road in Frisco, around 2:00 p.m.
Investigators believe Esquivel “intentionally left her 15-month-old child for over two hours in a vehicle she knew did not have working air conditioning.”
Police noted an outside temperature of at least 95 degrees, which is backed up by data from AccuWeather.
Esquivel’s actions—knowingly leaving the child in extreme heat—constituted a felony offense by endangering the child and causing injury, ultimately resulting in death. Under Texas law, the incident met the statutory definition of murder.
A warrant for Esquivel’s arrest was issued shortly after the findings.
She was taken into custody by Dallas Police on August 20 and transferred the same day into Frisco Police custody before being booked into the Collin County Jail. Her bond was set at $250,000.
The charge, a first-degree felony, carries a potential sentence ranging from five years to life in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.
The investigation remains active, and the Frisco Police Department is encouraging anyone with additional information to contact their non-emergency line at 972-292-6010 or to send anonymous tips via Tip411 by texting FRISCOPD and the message to 847411.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Police Charge Mother Who ‘Intentionally’ Left 1-Year-Old Baby in Car With Murder
The child died after being left in a vehicle without working A/C during near-triple-digit temperatures, according to police.
By Jacob Charles
Published: August 30, 2025 8:00 am ET
Vanessa Esquivel (via Frisco Police Department)
PLANO, TX — A Dallas woman is facing a murder charge after authorities say she “intentionally” left her infant in a hot car for more than two hours during heat conditions nearing the triple digits.
According to a statement released by the Frisco Police Department on August 28, 27-year-old Vanessa Esquivel was arrested following an investigation that began after Plano Police alerted Frisco authorities to the suspicious death of a 15-month-old child on August 16.
Detectives responded to Medical City Plano, and learned Esquivel had driven to her workplace, located in the 3200 block of Preston Road in Frisco, around 2:00 p.m.
Investigators believe Esquivel “intentionally left her 15-month-old child for over two hours in a vehicle she knew did not have working air conditioning.”
Police noted an outside temperature of at least 95 degrees, which is backed up by data from AccuWeather.
Esquivel’s actions—knowingly leaving the child in extreme heat—constituted a felony offense by endangering the child and causing injury, ultimately resulting in death. Under Texas law, the incident met the statutory definition of murder.
A warrant for Esquivel’s arrest was issued shortly after the findings.
She was taken into custody by Dallas Police on August 20 and transferred the same day into Frisco Police custody before being booked into the Collin County Jail. Her bond was set at $250,000.
The charge, a first-degree felony, carries a potential sentence ranging from five years to life in prison, along with a possible fine of up to $10,000.
The investigation remains active, and the Frisco Police Department is encouraging anyone with additional information to contact their non-emergency line at 972-292-6010 or to send anonymous tips via Tip411 by texting FRISCOPD and the message to 847411.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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