A New Jersey 30-year-old woman, Wendy Castillo-Torres, has been accused of accidentally crushing her 10-month-old son to death with a vehicle. As per the authorities, the incident happened at a driveway. Castillo-Torres didn’t have a valid license at the time.
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According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office (OCPO), the incident took place on Saturday, May 17, at around 6:15 p.m. Jackson Township Police Department (JTPD) officers arrived at a Grawton Road residence after receiving reports of a child being struck by a vehicle.
Upon arrival, officers found an unresponsive 10-month-old boy who had suffered serious injuries. He was rushed to Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus in Lakewood. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
An investigation carried out by the OCPO, the JTPD, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office revealed that, earlier in the day, Castillo-Torres had brought her 10-month-old son with her to a neighbor’s garage. Reportedly, she used the garage to clean motor vehicles.
At the time, her infant son was positioned in a bouncer seat between two vehicles in the driveway. After she finished cleaning, Castillo-Torres jumped inside one of the vehicles to move it in reverse. However, instead of placing the vehicle in reverse, Castillo-Torres placed the vehicle in drive.
As she stepped on the gas pedal, the vehicle moved forward, trapping her 10-month-old between the two vehicles. She immediately reversed, and one of her companions called 911, reporting what had taken place.
No Valid Driver’s License
During the police investigation, it was revealed that Castillo-Torres allegedly didn’t possess a valid driver’s license. As a result, Wendy Castillo-Torres was charged with causing death while driving without a valid driver’s license.
“Castillo-Torres was served with the aforementioned charge via summons pending future appearances in Ocean County Superior Court,” the OCPO wrote in its statement.
Ocean County Prosecutor Billhimer stated, “Our investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident, our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.”
Should Castillo-Torres be found guilty of her charge, she could face up to five years in prison. After serving her potential sentence, she would be disqualified from obtaining a license for a year.