A nanny is accused of child abuse, then disappears.
 Maria Rosa Hernandez
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Suspect:
Gender: Female
DOB: 1/20/64
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Defining Characteristics: Speaks broken English and has what appears to be burn scars on her right upper forearm.
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CASE DETAILS
On July 5, 1990, paramedics rushed 4-year-old Ashley Berman into a Los Angeles emergency room. She was unconscious and barely breathing. A short time later, the doctor made a shocking accusation–Ashley had been physically assaulted by her nanny.
Ashley’s mother, Sharon Berman, was in a state of disbelief:
“I looked at him and said ‘No way.’ I said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about… Rosa would never hurt Ashley.’ She took care of her. We had neighbors that would see Rosa and Ashley at the park. They would call me up and tell me how lucky I was to have somebody like Rosa. I did not believe him.”
Mug shot: Maria Hernandez
The Bermans had met Rosa Hernandez in 1988, when she applied to be the live-in nanny for 2-year-old Ashley. According to Ashley’s father, Jeff, Rosa was highly recommended by various neighbors:
“One neighbor that she worked for a couple of years beforehand, who swore by her… said she was wonderful and she would be perfect to… watch our daughter and that she had experience with kids and… very good at what she did.”
Jeff remembered how well Ashley responded to her new nanny:
“When we brought Ashley down to meet her, Ashley seemed to connect very well, as well as Rosa connected with Ashley. So I felt that this was definitely going to work out, and that she would be good with Ashley.”
The next week, Rosa Hernandez moved in with the Bermans. According to Sharon Berman, the two were immediately inseparable:
“Ashley seemed to be very fond of Rosa. She always wanted to buy things for Rosa. She’d always talk about Rosa. She always wanted, you know, to make Rosa be happy and feel happy.”
Maria Rosa Hernandez
For a year, everything went well. Then, Sharon started noticing bruises on Ashley’s body:
“Every time we asked Ashley what happened, how did you get this, she’d always tell us it happened at school, that she hurt her hand on the swing, that a little boy hit her with a shovel… another child hit her with a Barbie.”
But in February of 1990, it happened at home. Ashley needed several stitches from a deep gash on her head. According to Rosa, Ashley had been periodically blacking out and experiencing seizures. Although Jeff Berman never witnessed an episode himself, he feared his daughter had developed a serious physiological disorder:
“We put Ashley through all kinds of tests. We put her through cat scans, MRIs, which were very difficult to get a 4 ½ -year-old child into an MRI. With all the tests, they could find absolutely nothing that related that she had any tendency really toward seizures. All indications was that she was a very healthy child.”
A few months later, Jeff came home early from a walk to find that his very healthy child had once again been severely injured:
“Rosa proceeded to tell me that Ashley had fallen down. She was wearing some shoes and she tripped and she fell down. And I felt comfortable that she had just fallen. I saw the shoes. The shoes were on the kitchen floor. When the scene was re-enacted by Ashley, it all made sense.”
Cause of death was changed to homicide
Then just nine days later, Ashley had a frightening brush with death. Sharon Berman remembered rushing Ashley to the emergency room:
“I thought Ashley was going to die on us. I mean, I just looked at her–she was all pale, hooked up–and I thought we were going to lose her. And, pretty much, we were told if she survived, if she lived, she’d more than likely be retarded or blind or both.”
Dr. Frank Gillingham remembered treating Ashley:
“After I examined Ashley, I was suspicious that Ashley might have been abused. She had some small hemorrhages in the retina. This is a condition that’s associated with shaken baby syndrome.”
Dr. Gillingham decided to check into Ashley’s medical history and phoned her pediatrician:
“It wasn’t until I spoke with Ashley’s pediatrician that we made a connection to a prior case where the same caregiver had been involved in taking care of a child who died of what they thought might be child abuse.”
Maria with Ashley
For the Bermans, it was a shocking piece of news. Two years earlier, Dr. Gillingham had treated a 17-month-old boy who was rushed to the hospital in a state of full cardiac arrest:
“We were able to resuscitate the child. The child was subsequently admitted to the hospital, but then died within the next, I think, 17 or 18 hours.”
That day, the toddler had been in the care of Rosa Hernandez. An autopsy revealed that the boy had a fractured skull and internal bleeding. His death was ruled a homicide. Now with Ashley fighting for her life, police believed they had a case against Hernandez. She was charged with child abuse and murder.
Ashley remained in the hospital for a week. Eventually, she made a full recovery. With the experience behind her, Ashley spoke about Rosa Hernandez:
“She used to push me down the steps. I would hide her remote control to get her back, and so she took silverware and hit my nails. And she would also take her earrings and poke them through my nails. And she would bang my head against the walls, the doors, and the wood floors.”
Hernandez pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child abuse. Despite protests from the Bermans, she was released on her own recognizance and promptly disappeared.
Maria Rosa Hernandez is from El Salvador. She is 5’4″ tall and weighs approximately 130 pounds. Hernandez speaks broken English and has what appears to be burn scars on her right upper forearm.
Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season nine with Robert Stack and in season three with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.
SUBMIT A TIP
Barbara
So unbelievable that she was allowed out on her own recognizance. They have her fingerprints so today, it is unlikely she is passing back to the US but she could still be already here from years ago. Most likely she went back to El Salvador.
Cc
There is a woman who used to work at the Kidz Being Kidz daycare named Maria Rosa Hernandez, no idea about the scar though.
Christopher
I saw a lady on facebook and i saw her with a burn circle on her arm
Karen
Should have reported her
Christopher
I saw a lady on facebook and i saw her with a burn circle on her arm
Courtney
Was it her right arm? Where is she located? What name is she under? Report this ASAP!
Ice_Illuminous
This woman was PREGNANT at the time she fled and had two children of her own prior to her indictment. How can they not track this woman through her children? Surely, she must stop by to see them.
Adam Davis
She very likely fled to her home country and has remained there.
Unnamed
Found a woman on Facebook the name is Rose Marie Hernandez. Looks just like Marie Hernandez just older same cheek bone Struthers same Chen .I swear it her
anonymous
I believe I know this woman but can’t work this website to leave a tip and don.t want it public
Unsolved Mysteries Post author
Please send us more information at unsolved@unsolved.com, through our tip form (http://unsolved.com/tips/) or through our app. Thank you.
Shirley Black
Any update? Has the Facebook profile been looked at? Couldn’t she be traced via her family?
Crimes against children are totally abhorrent
Warren
So I guess she wasn’t found on FB?
Minji
There’s a girl on Facebook that fits this description, she’s Salvadoran, has a scar on her right arm, and is really creepy.
Unsolved Mysteries Post author
Hi Minji – please send us more information at unsolved@unsolved.com, through our tip form (https://unsolved.com/content/tips) or through our app. Thank you.
Anonymous
Katherine, I know how to do a age progression picture.
Rosa martinez
I thought i saw that lady in the citrus hospital. In west covina but she is shorter . she was wearing a dark shirt. Nosleeves sandle andi dont reamenber if she was wearing shorts or pants but i do remember a lot of scars it was painful at least that is what i felt when i saw her arm i notice her acsent i new she was a salvi she seemed. Not worrief but in control off an older ladythe sadest thing i really noticed is thatthe lady she was taken care of looked liked she had her on drug.s she lookeeout of it she was with an other lady but maria had her hair short and black. No make up please let me now if. This would help it was one timei. Had taken my child to the hospital
Claudia
Any updates or news on this women! Has she been found yet?
Eric
I get it is a man that shook the baby, as the babysitter, went to 7-11, for something,
Alexandra
Any news?
brooklyn magninifico
I found a woman on facebook with her name and a scar on her right forearm. Be sure to check it out. She is old in her pictures and looks like ahe gained weight but this im pretty sure is the woman.
Anonymous
I tried looking it up but there were too many :c
Raine Storm
Was it Maria Hernandez in Oklahoma City,OK? ……because this lady sure does look like the mug shot…only much older of course. In 1988, this Maria Hernandez also had 3 children.
Katherine
Please do an age progression picture of this child killer.
Amanda
Any news??
Thomas
why getting a foreign nanny? She can’t communicate with the kids. Therefore, I think she is the assaulter. Why batter a child like that? At only 4!
Alyssa berman
ASHLEY IS MY SISTER AND ASHLEY IS NOW 31 years old!!! Before posting anything find out the real story. I’m 22 years old this happend before I was even born. Kick rocks
Mr. W
Sounds like you were shaken around a bit to much yourself as a kid. No one was speaking negatively about your family, get a grip and get a life.
chris
I think I’ve found her
claudia
go to the police than!!!
Chris
Her arm has a burn cirlce on her uper form arm and there is not info on her page face everything beside the color of her hair matches
Chris watts
Her arm has a burn circle on the right arm her hair is dyed a differnet color
angela sanchez
Do u have a picture of what she might look like now?? There is a lady that I no of that fits her description.
unsolved
We do not have an updated picture on file. Please contact us via our tip form at https://unsolved.com/content/tips or send your tip to the LA County Sheriff’s Department: http://www.lacrimestoppers.com/howitworks.aspx
Sandra Hughes
NO CREO QUE TENGAN UNA FOTO RECIENTE, PORQUE DESAPARECIO DESDE 1990, PERO SI USTED CREE QUE SEA ELLA CONTACTE A L POLICIA O AL SHOW Y ELLOS SE ENCARGARAN DE INVESTIGAR; RECUERDE QUE ES SALVADORENA, TIENE UNA CICAATRIZ EN EL BRAZO DERECHO Y EN ESE ENONCES TENIA 3 HIJOS QUE YA DEBEN DE SER GRNDES; YO ME PROPUSE BUSCARLA PORQUE MERECE SER CASTIGADA POR LO QUE LES HIZO A ESOS NINOS Y QUIEN SABE A CUANTOS MAS.
Julia
English please, ok?
claudia
did you take action?