Santa Clara County prosecutors have charged a San Jose mother and stepfather with felony child neglect after an 8-year-old girl died following a severe asthma attack. Prosecutors say the girl, Aurora Williams, had lived for years in a home with cockroaches, mold and animal feces, and that her caregivers had been warned about risks to the children.
The defendants are Aurora’s mother, Gabrielle Hanson, 32, and stepfather, Jacob Randolph, 39. According to the district attorney’s office, they waited about eight hours to seek medical care after Aurora developed serious symptoms in May 2026. Prosecutors say the child died four days after emergency responders went to the family’s home on May 13.
The medical examiner attributed Aurora’s death to oxygen deprivation affecting her 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 the death was classified as a homicide, prosecutors said. These findings are part of the case; the neglect charges remain allegations unless established in court.
Prosecutors also described an earlier emergency-room visit in February 2025, when a relative brought Aurora in with wheezing and difficulty breathing. Their account says a cockroach was seen on the girl and an insect fell from her shoe. Aurora reportedly told hospital staff that bugs crawled on her. Staff also noted that she smelled of cat urine, appeared underweight and pale, and said she was hungry and had not eaten.
Investigators said the children had been living in hazardous conditions since at least 2019. The district attorney’s office said Aurora’s asthma equipment was not properly maintained and her prescribed inhaler was missing during two searches of the home. Investigators later found a dirty inhaler spacer without a rubber seal and a respiratory mask containing cockroaches, according to prosecutors.
Six of Aurora’s siblings, ranging in age from 2 months to 17 years, were taken into protective custody by social workers after the May emergency response. Prosecutors said medical professionals and social workers had repeatedly warned the adults about dangers to the seven children.
The investigation also resulted in separate charges against Aurora’s maternal uncle, Jonathan Hanson, 44. Prosecutors allege he sexually abused another child in the household, who was between 11 and 15 at the time of the alleged offenses, and possessed explicit videos of that child. Gabrielle Hanson was additionally charged with knowing about the alleged abuse and failing to intervene, prosecutors said. Those accusations are also unproven.
All three defendants were arraigned Tuesday, according to the source report. Gabrielle Hanson and Randolph were released under supervised own recognizance despite prosecutors’ objections. Jonathan Hanson was ordered held without bail. Their next court appearance was scheduled for Nov. 20 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said his office would pursue the case and called for answers about how the children lived in dangerous conditions for so long. He also said prosecution alone would not be enough to address the questions raised by the case. The source report does not provide responses from the defendants or their attorneys.
