Parents in Northern California have been charged with felony child neglect after failing to seek prompt medical attention for their 8-year-old daughter, who suffered a severe asthma attack. Prosecutors revealed that the child lived in deeply unsanitary conditions filled with cockroaches, mold, and garbage.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the victim’s mother, Gabrielle Hanson (32), and stepfather, Jacob Randolph (39), are accused of failing to seek medical help for approximately eight hours after Aurora experienced a critical asthma emergency last May. Aurora was rushed to the hospital but passed away four days later.
Last month, the coroner’s office classified Aurora’s death as a homicide. The cause of death was determined to be a lack of oxygen to the brain resulting from severe asthma and acute lung injury, with prosecutors stating that medical neglect played a critical role in her death.
Prosecutors disclosed that the East San Jose home, where Aurora and six other children lived, was littered with cockroaches, pet feces, garbage, and mold. During the investigation, authorities were unable to locate Aurora’s prescribed inhaler and discovered a breathing mask containing cockroaches.
A major point of controversy is that child welfare authorities had been aware of the hazardous living conditions at the home since at least 2019. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen remarked that answers must be found as to how this child and her siblings could endure such dangerous conditions for so long.
Meanwhile, during the course of the investigation, Aurora’s uncle, Jonathan Hanson (44), was also charged with the sexual abuse of another minor living in the same home. Aurora’s mother and stepfather were released under court supervision, and contact with their children has been prohibited.
