Family speaks out after toddler's death

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The family of the toddler who died after being left in a hot car for hours is speaking out for the first time.

They are raising money for the child's funeral and making a public plea to have his aunt, who is charged in his death , released from jail.

Relatives say 2-year-old Gabriel Noel Torres was a rambunctious and intelligent toddler who loved to laugh.

The toddler died after being left in a hot car outside the Precious Moments daycare center in Northwest Albuquerque last Monday.

Police believe his aunt, 19-year-old Sandra Rodriguez-Miramontes, forgot about him as she went to work at the daycare and did not remember the boy until eight hours later.

On Tuesday she faced a judge for the first time charged with child abuse resulting in death.

Her family, as well as Torres's mother, was in the courtroom, pleading for her release.

Sunday, supporters held a car wash for the family.

They say, Rodriguez-Miramontes who is a mother herself, never meant to hurt anyone and is distraught over the incident.

“Everybody is really hurt everybody is trying to stay strong to support them,” Rodriguez-Miramontes’s best friend, Adriana Arroyo, said. “Like I said we're just happy that all the family is united and that's what we really want we want everybody to be united and to help us out.”

The family plans to meet with the District Attorney Tuesday and ask her to drop the charges.

They say Torres's family took Sandra's son to visit her in jail. Her fiance says this whole experience is a horrific nightmare.

" This can happen to the best parent, the best mom, the best dad, it can happen to anybody," said Rene Zubiate, Rodriguez-Miramontes's fiance.

He said his future bride-to-be loved Gabriel more than anything.

Rodriguez-Miramontes is still in jail.

She has an immigration hold against her bond, so she can not be released while facing criminal charges. The young mother has lived in the country all her life, but is not a citizen.

The family says they forgive Rodriguez-Miramontes. If the criminal charges are dropped, they hope to tackle the immigration issue. 

If convicted she could spend 25 years behind bars, and the family said it would be indescribable to loose two family members at the same time.

An account is set up at all WellsFargo Bank locations under the "Little Angel". The number is 8839572693 for anyone who would like to help