Grandmother, judge grapple with aftermath at woman's sentencing for son's death in hot vehicle

The conclusion was foregone: For the death of her young son inside a hot vehicle last summer, Maya Hernandez had already agreed to be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison — and on Thursday that ended up being the final number. But it wasn’t the end of the story.

Although the defendant said almost nothing inside Kern County Superior Court, her mother-in-law certainly did, and so did Judge Charles Brehmer.