An El Cajon mother found guilty of felony child endangerment and drug charges after she left her child to die in a hot car was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Jessica Quezada, 24, was convicted in the death of their 4-month-son Giovanni Soto, who died on July 27, 2013, when he was left in a hot car overnight. Israel Soto, 32, was cleared in the case.
Quezada is already in jail serving a 27 month drug sentence related to a drug trafficking ring and had two prior felony convictions. The sentence will be served concurrently.
Family members found Giovanni inside the vehicle at an El Cajon apartment complex. Investigators say he was left behind when Quezada and Soto returned from a shopping trip.
Officials discovered the baby had been in the car for 15 hours and had a body temperature of 107 degrees when he died.
After hearing witness and official testimony since July 1, the jury convicted Quezada of child endangerment, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the prosecution, Giovanni’s death could have been avoided had the parents been less negligent. The deputy district attorney alleged that Quezada was smoking marijuana near the vehicle a couple hours before the unresponsive infant was found.
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The defense argued that Quezada was overwhelmed and made a tragic mistake. The couple’s three other children have been well-fed and cared for, according to the defense attorney.
