San Jose girl, 8, dies after living in cockroach-infested home as mother, stepfather face charges
An 8-year-old California girl died following a severe asthma attack after allegedly living for years in a filthy home infested with cockroaches, mold and pet feces, prompting felony child neglect charges against her mother and stepfather, prosecutors said.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said this week that the girl's mother, Gabrielle Hanson, 32, and stepfather, Jacob Randolph, 39, knew about the dangerous conditions inside their San Jose home and had been repeatedly warned by medical professionals and social workers about the risks to their seven children.
Despite the warnings, the couple allegedly waited eight hours before seeking medical help when their daughter, Aurora Williams, began experiencing serious medical distress in May.
"It was too late," prosecutors said in a news release announcing the charges.
In February 2025, more than a year before her death, Aurora was taken to an emergency room by a relative after experiencing asthma symptoms, wheezing and difficulty breathing, according to prosecutors.
A bug fell from her shoe and a cockroach was seen crawling on her, prompting her to tell staff, "Oh yeah, bugs just crawl on me."
Hospital staff also reported that Aurora smelled like cat urine, appeared seriously underweight and pale, and said she was hungry and had not eaten.
On May 13, 2026, San Jose police and firefighters responded to the family's home for a medical emergency involving a child.
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Six other children, ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years, were taken into protective custody by social workers.
Aurora was declared dead four days later, according to prosecutors.
The medical examiner determined that Aurora died from a lack of oxygen to the brain caused by severe asthma and an acute lung injury associated with a viral infection. Medical neglect was identified as a significant contributing factor, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators determined that Aurora and her siblings had been living in "squalid and dangerous conditions" since at least 2019, according to prosecutors.
Detectives also found that Aurora's asthma equipment had not been properly maintained and that her prescribed inhaler was missing during two searches of the home.
Investigators later discovered a dirty inhaler spacer missing a rubber seal designed to prevent medication from leaking, along with a respiratory mask containing cockroaches.
"Another child is needlessly dead in this county, and once again our prosecutors will do everything in our legal power to hold the people who did this responsible," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.
"Prosecuting people after this kind of tragedy is necessary – and not enough," Rosen continued. "There are serious questions about how this child and her siblings lived in this dangerous squalor for so long. In the name of this lost child and the others, this community deserves honest answers and real changes."
The investigation also led to child sexual abuse charges against Aurora's maternal uncle, Jonathan Hanson, 44, involving another child in the home.
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Prosecutors charged Jonathan Hanson with two counts of molestation and one count of possessing explicit videos of the alleged victim, who was between 11 and 15 years old at the time of the alleged offenses.
Gabrielle Hanson, the alleged victim's stepmother, was also charged with knowing about the alleged abuse and failing to intervene, prosecutors said.
All three defendants were arraigned Tuesday.
Gabrielle Hanson and Randolph were released under supervised own recognizance over prosecutors' objections, while Jonathan Hanson was ordered held without bail.
Their next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 20 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.