Lacey Ana Mazzarella: Mother who left toddler to die in 'hot car' while she went drinking with a friend jailed
WEST CARSON, CALIFORNIA: The Lacey Ana Mazzarella case had an update on Wednesday with the negligent woman slapped with a 14-years and eight months sentence in state prison following the death of her two-year-old daughter, June Love Augusto in 2019 after the toddler was left in the family car with the heater on for more than five hours while she was drinking with a friend. The incident occurred on September 21 around 11:30 pm. The last update saw the court hear the mother had passed out and found the kid dead hours later when she woke up.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had responded to a call for reports of a child who was not responsive. June was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead. Her face, chest, and arms reportedly had burns while her eyes had become cloudy. Mazzarella, in her version of the story, had told the deputies, she had left the child in her car seat, covered her with a blanket, and switched the heater on. The windows were rolled up. She found the child covered in vomit and was unresponsive around 5 am the following day.
Mazzarella had tried to cool the child down in the yard but was unsuccessful. According to the report, "vomit was present on her shirt and the car seat. The skin was coming off the decedent's back. (The mother) placed her on the grass and sprayed her with a water hose in an attempt to cool her down. The decedent was taken into and a call was placed to 911." By the time June was rushed to the hospital, her body temperature read 107.5 degrees.
The woman also previously lost custody of a three-year-old in 2013 when the cops raided her residence to find a toddler on a bed with cocaine, razor blades, and medicine. The incident saw Mazarella being charged with one count of murder and child neglect resulting in death. As per the LA District Attorney's office, she pleaded no contest to one count each of voluntary manslaughter, mayhem, and child abuse resulting in death on October 20, 2020.
The case TA150231 was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney David Zygielbaum