A mother in New Jersey is facing her worst nightmare. First, she accidentally ran over her baby while moving a car. It doesn’t seem that the baby’s death was anything other than an unfortunate accident. But because she was moving the car and didn’t have a valid license, she faces charges. In the midst of grieving her child’s death, Wendy Castillo-Torres is also dealing with having to go to court.
The 30-year-old mom was helping friends wash cars on May 17, 2025, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office noted in a statement. She placed her 10-month-old son in a bouncer seat between two cars while she cleaned. As they were finishing up, tragedy struck.
The mom got into one of the cars so she could move it. But instead of putting the car in reverse, she reportedly put it in drive. Her son, whose bouncer seat was between the two cars, was trapped between them. The cars were crushing him, per the statement. Once Castillo-Torres realized what was happening, she put the car in reverse, but it was too late.
Jackson Township Police were called shortly after 6 p.m., after someone from the friend’s house called 911. The baby was unresponsive, so they rushed him to the hospital with serious injuries. Shortly after arriving at Monmouth Medical Center, the boy was pronounced dead.
Upon further investigation at the scene, authorities allegedly learned that Castillo-Torres didn’t have a driver’s license. Soon, they filed charges. Castillo-Torres was charged with causing death while driving without a valid driver’s license, according to the police statement.
“Our investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer shared in the statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.”
