Mom Accused Of Murder In Death Of Toddler Left In Heated Car

REDONDO BEACH, CA — A 34-year-old woman was arrested in lieu of $1 million bail on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of her toddler who she allegedly left in a car with the heater on for nearly five hours in an unincorporated area near Torrance.

Lacey Mazzarella was arrested at approximately 8:20 p.m. Wednesday and booked at the sheriff's Carson Station, the Sheriff's Information Bureau reported.

Deputies responding to the 22400 block of South Vermont Avenue on Sept. 23 regarding an infant not breathing found 2-year-old June Love Augosto unresponsive, said Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff's Information Bureau.

June was later pronounced dead at an area hospital, according to the coroner's office.

Mazzarella left the toddler buckled up in her car seat around 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 with a blanket on her, and the car windows rolled up, she told a sheriff's detective. She then allegedly left her daughter inside the hot car before moving to her friend's car where she drank alcohol and eventually fell asleep. The car heater was left on for about five hours, according to the police report obtained by Fox 11.

The toddler was found unresponsive in her car seat with burns on her face, chest and arms, and vomit on her clothes, according to KTLA. Her mother laid June on the lawn and sprayed her with a hose in an attempt to revive her and cool her off, Fox 11 reported.

June was rushed to the hospital in full cardiac arrest, according to the police report. Her temperature when she arrived at the hospital was 107.5 degrees, KTLA reported.

"She's my only grandchild. I just came out here, and June celebrated her second birthday. June Love was a beautiful baby. She deserved a good life. She deserved to grow up, go to school," said June's grandmother Helen Hernandez told Fox 11.

A GoFundMe page was established to help pay for the funeral services.

"June was just 2-years-old, full of life and loved by so many," the fundraiser page said. "Unfortunately, a tragedy occurred, and beautiful June has become an Angel in Heaven."

Mazzarella is due in Compton Municipal Court Thursday morning.

GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner; City News Service contributed to this post