A Los Angeles County jury returned guilty verdicts on March 19, 2026, against Maria Del Refugio Avalos, 40, on charges of second-degree murder and assault on a child causing death, arising from the killing of her 4-year-old daughter, Mia Gonzalez [1]. The child was found unresponsive in a vehicle in East Los Angeles [1]. The case proceeded to trial in downtown Los Angeles before Judge Karla D. Kerlin of the Los Angeles County Superior Court [1].
During deliberations, the jury deadlocked on a first-degree murder special finding alleging willful, deliberate, and premeditated conduct [1]. Following that impasse, the prosecution withdrew the special finding rather than seek a retrial on that count [1]. The guilty verdicts on the remaining counts stood.
Judge Kerlin sentenced Avalos to 25 years to life in prison at a May 8, 2026, sentencing hearing [1]. The sentence reflects the statutory term for second-degree murder under California law, which carries a minimum of 15 years to life, with the court imposing the higher term given the assault conviction on a child [1]. No information regarding an appeal or post-trial motions was available in the reported source material at the time of publication.