SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A woman was convicted Wednesday of murdering her 3-year-old daughter by leaving her inside a hot car on purpose, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
A jury found Angela Phakhin, 29, guilty of first-degree murder for the death of her daughter Maiya.
The district attorney's office said Phakhin and her boyfriend, Untwan Smith, "exposed Maiya to extreme summer temperatures" over a two-week period.
The couple left Maiya in Phakhin's Toyota Rav4 for 9.5 hours on June 27, 2017, which led to her death, according to the district attorney's office. The previous day she was left in the car for 4.5 hours.
Officers from the Rancho Cordova Police Department spotted Phakhin's car parked the wrong way on Rod Beaudry Drive in Rancho Cordova on June 28, 2017, according to a press release from the department. Phakhin and Smith were near the car at the time and officers confirmed they were the owners of the car.
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After officers ran a records check, they learned Phakhin had an outstanding warrant from Arkansas. Officers began searching the car and discovered Maiya unresponsive on the backseat underneath some blankets, according to the police department. There were no signs of trauma and the little girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
Phakhin told law enforcement that she and Smith were trying to "remove the lustful demons" from Maiya, according to the district attorney's office.
The jury also found Phakhin guilty of premeditated and deliberate murder and felony murder torture. She faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Her sentencing is set for July 19.
Untwan Smith is pending trial on the same charges.
