A New Jersey mother has been charged with causing the death of her infant child while driving without a valid license, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.
The accident occurred in Jackson Township on Saturday and claimed the life of Wendy Castillo-Torres' 10-month-old son.
According to the prosecution, police were called to Grawtown Road at around 6:15 pm after an infant was allegedly struck by a car.
Upon arrival, the officers discovered a non-responsive boy with severe injuries. He was declared dead after being transported to Lakewood's Monmouth Medical Centre Southern Campus.
The Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad conducted an investigation.
According to their probe, Castillo-Torres used a friend's garage to clean cars, and her 10-month-old son accompanied his mother to the location on Grawtown Road.
The baby was placed between two cars in a bouncer seat. Castillo-Torres got into one of the cars after cleaning it, but she put the car in drive instead of reverse, trapping the baby between the two cars.
A companion dialled 911 as Castillo-Torres instantly placed the car in reverse, but it was too late by then.
According to the investigation, Castillo-Torres did not have a valid driver's license at the time of the accident.
"Our investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.
Prosecutors said that Castillo-Torres received a summons for the unfortunate crime, awaiting her next appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.
In February 2024, a baby girl in the US died when her mother accidentally placed her in an oven instead of the crib to take a nap. The unresponsive baby was found badly burned when responding Missouri police officers arrived at the Kansas City house.
The police described the baby's death as "gruesome" and declared it dead at the spot.
