A Dallas woman has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison for murder after a jury found her responsible for the death of her 15-month-old child. The incident occurred in Frisco, a community located approximately 6 miles south of Prosper.
Vanessa Esquivel, 28, was arrested in August 2025 following the death of her child, according to the Frisco Police Department. Court records indicate that a jury reached a guilty verdict on June 18. Esquivel had entered a plea of not guilty prior to the trial.
Police stated that Esquivel arrived at her workplace in the 3200 block of Preston Road around 2 p.m. on the day in question. Authorities accused her of intentionally leaving the toddler inside her vehicle. The child remained in the car for approximately two hours without air conditioning.
According to police reports, the temperature that day reached at least 95 degrees. The baby died as a result of the exposure. Esquivel was subsequently charged with murder.
