Hannah Faith Cormier. (Special to the American Press)

A Jennings mother pleaded no contest Monday to a charge stemming from the death of her 10-month-old daughter, who was left in a hot car for several hours last August.

Hannah Faith Cormier, 33, is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison after pleading no contest to negligent homicide in the 31st Judicial District Court. Negligent homicide is defined as a death resulting from an unintentional act or a failure to act with reasonable care.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2026, following a pre-sentence investigation ordered by District Judge Steve Gunnell.

Cormier, who initially pleaded not guilty last October, wept as she entered the no contest plea, which means she accepts the conviction without admitting guilt.

In establishing background on the case, Assistant District Attorney Torrie Thibodeaux said Cormier “did kill a juvenile through an act of criminal negligent.”

Cormier was arrested last August on charges of second-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile, but was indicted on the lesser charge of negligent homicide by a grand jury in October. Her bond was reduced from $1 million to $10,000.

She is accused of leaving her daughter unattended inside a hot car for several hours outside a local fast food restaurant where she worked. Temperatures that day were in the 90s with triple-digit heat indices.

According to police, the baby’s body temperature was 109 when she was taken to the hospital by her mother.

Cormier told police she accidentally left the baby in the car after being called into work and didn’t realize the baby was still in the back seat until she left work and found her unconscious.

She took the baby to a nearby hospital, where she was stabilized and transported to another hospital in critical condition. The baby died the next night from what police said was a heat stroke.

Cormier is being represented by attorney Bill Riley.