The toddler suffocated in front of her siblings after mom left them alone in the car to get lunch.

 

A Michigan mother has been arrested after her 18-month-old daughter suffocated between a truck seat and the vehicle door while left alone with her siblings as she went to pick up lunch for her husband.
 


Angelica Linda Arechiga, 27, of Michigan, has been charged with child abuse after allegedly leaving her child in a vehicle resulting in de@th following the horrific October 2024 incident, as reported by Target 8.  
 


Authorities claim she left her daughter, Juliet Magdelena, unsupervised and unrestrained for 15 minutes inside her pickup truck on October 9 while parked at a grocery store on South Division Avenue south of Hall Street in Grand Rapids.



"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 de@th," a probable cause affidavit obtained by Target 8 states.



Magdelena's cause of de@th was ruled as "asphyxia by wedging", with the manner of de@th listed as accidental.

Arechiga is facing a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

Kent County authorities state that this is the first time the charge has been brought against someone.

After being arrested last week, Arechiga spoke tearfully to Target 8, insisting that it was a tragic accident.

"I just want people to know that this was an accident," she said in tears. "Yes, 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."

According to reports, she was arrested at Grand Rapids District Court and released on a personal recognizance bond.

Chris Becker, who is the Kent County Prosecutor, issued a warning about the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars.

"Horrible things can happen when children are left alone in a vehicle for even a short period of time," Becker told Target 8.

First responders described the harrowing scene upon arrival, and revealed the toddler had only a "faint" pulse when paramedics reached her.

A grocery store worker who witnessed the immediate aftermath told Target 8: "It was the saddest thing. When (the mom) said that (Juliet) was playing with her sister (in the truck), I thought the sisters were at least 6, 8 or 10 years old. But when they came out walking, they were like 4, 5, and there was a baby."

Witnesses inside the store recalled Arechiga running in screaming after finding her daughter unconscious in the truck.

"She just comes in screaming," a worker recalled.

"We were confused … (the toddler) had Cheetos dust on her hands so we were like, 'Maybe she was (choking) on her chips?' 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'.''

An online obituary for Magdelena described the young girl as a 'loving and sweet baby' who was a 'daddy's girl' with a lively personality.  

"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. Julieta seemed to enjoy watching the world and taking in everything around her, silently watching and learning from everyone in her life."

Arechiga is scheduled to appear in court in mid-February. She is now free on a personal recognizance bond.