California mom sentenced to nearly 15 years after death of toddler daughter left in car overnight

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. — A California mother has received a nearly 15-year prison sentence in connection with the 2019 death of her toddler daughter.

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According to KNBC and KTLA, a judge on Wednesday sentenced Lacey Ana Mazzarella, 35, of Rancho Palos Verdes, to a state prison term of 14 years and eight months after she pleaded no contest to multiple charges, including voluntary manslaughter and child abuse leading to death.

The charges stemmed from the Sept. 23, 2019, death of Mazzarella’s 2-year-old daughter, June Love Agosto, the news outlets reported. In a news release, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Mazzarella left the girl in a car overnight while the woman “drank alcohol in another nearby vehicle until she passed out.”

Authorities found the child dead the next morning, authorities said. The toddler had been covered with a blanket, and the car’s engine and heater had been running the entire night, according to the news release.