A Kent County, Michigan, mother is facing a child abuse charge in the death of her 18-month-old daughter. It’s a first of its kind in her area. Julieta Magdalena died from asphyxiation on October 9, 2024. Her mother, Angelica Linda Arechiga, 27, allegedly left her in a vehicle with three other children.
With no adults present, Julieta’s head reportedly became wedged between the driver’s seat and the door. Sadly, in the short time her mother left her unattended, Julieta died from asphyxiation.
According to WOOD, Arechiga allegedly left the children alone for approximately 15 minutes. She went into a La Tienda grocery store to get her husband lunch. When she returned and opened the door, Julieta fell out of the vehicle unresponsive.
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According to court documents obtained by the station, “Angelica left Juliet, an 18-month-old child, unattended in a vehicle for a period of 15 minutes unrestrained and with no adult supervision, which posed an unreasonable risk of harm or injury to Juliet, causing her death.”
The mother told WOOD through tears that she did not mean to hurt her baby. “I just want people to know that this was an accident,” she said. “I could have done things differently that day. But I’ve learned from my mistakes. If I could go back in time to change things, I would, but I can’t.”
Sadly, the day Julieta died, her mother tried to get her help. According to court documents, Arechiga left her three children, ages 3, 2, and 1, in the car along with a child she was babysitting, who was less than a year old. When she found Julieta unresponsive, she reportedly ran into the store begging for help.
“She just comes in screaming,” an unidentified employee of La Tienda told WOOD. “We were confused (the toddler) had Cheetos dust on her hands so we were like, ‘Maybe she was (choking) on her chips?”
The employee added, “So my cousin started patting her on the back but when her mom was able to talk, she was like ‘No, no she got her head stuck and she’s not breathing.'”
Per her obituary, “Julieta was a loving and sweet baby. She was a daddy’s girl in every sense and always waited for him to get home to be the first to greet him. Julieta loved dancing and chasing the soccer ball with her family.
“She was very smart and was already talking and practicing saying ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ in Spanish,” it continued. “Julieta seemed to enjoy watching the world and taking in everything around her, silently watching and learning from everyone in her life.”
Arechiga faces a count of child abuse, leaving a child in a vehicle, resulting in death. The law took effect in 2009, WOOD noted, and the mother could spend 15 years in prison.
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Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told WOOD the law is in place for a reason.
“Horrible things can happen when children are left alone in a vehicle for even a short period of time,” Becker said. “These laws were passed to hold parents accountable for when this occurred. Parents should be aware of these laws, recognize they will be held accountable and not leave their kids alone in a vehicle due to the danger it poses.”
