Prosecutors won’t pursue charges against Juan Rodriguez in twins’ hot car deaths

NYPost ^ | August 1, 2019

[SamAdams76]

There was a similar tragic case in my area a few years back (Ridgefield, CT). A father worked the entire day with his infant child in the backseat. According to what I remember, the normal routine was that his wife brought the child to day care and he would pick the child up at the end of the day.

So for some reason, he had to take the child to day care that particular morning. He went about his normal routine, getting coffee, etc., and drove to his office having completely forgotten about his child in the back seat.

Even crazier, the man actually drove to the day care after work to pick his child up without realizing he now had a dead child in his backseat.

I have no idea how this could have happened but the man had an absolute nervous breakdown. He didn't get any actual jail time (pled guilty to involuntary murder and got a suspended sentence).

But his life was totally destroyed and he ended up changing his name and moving to another part of the country. Not sure if his wife ended up staying with him.

Can't imagine having that on my conscience. Jail or not, I would never be the same.

[RainMan]

When we were young, there were no child seats. Kids would sit in the front seat with mom or dad, or whomever was driving. If both adults were in the car, they sat in the back, but facing forward. Sometimes on mom's lap in the passenger seat. The interactions with the kids in the car were constant, and even the subject of jokes, both in family and in popular entertainment. Then came the safety Nazi's. Child seats, kids not allowed in the front seat, kids need to be facing backwards. Now, the kids are in their seats, with no interactions, the gentle sway of the car … and they go to sleep.

Now, think about modern stresses. You are on your way to work. You are thinking about what you have to do today, you saw emails on your phone before you left for work that are crisis' that you will have to deal with, you have ungodly traffic no matter where you live, and you develop a routine that allows for you to keep your sanity every day that essentially tunes you out during your commute. You are on autopilot.

Next, something happens … the parent that normally drives the kids has to go in early, or go to a Dr … whatever. Put a parent that is not used to driving the kids to wherever in charge of transporting the kids for the day and the kids, used to the routine are on autopilot as well. They go to sleep. Maybe someone cuts him off, or he has issues merging on the freeway … but Dad gets focused on the issue at hand, not the temporary duty of being kid chauffer. Crisis resolves, and Dad's natural reaction is he goes on autopilot, just like he does any other day of the week. The kids are silent, they are asleep … nothing to wake him out of his autopilot. He is thinking about the emails he has to respond to. He gets to work, the kids don't wake up. The back of the car is dark, he does not normally look there, and being focused on work, it does not occur to him to do it today. It is just another day, just another commute, just another tragedy about to happen, not because Dad intended to murder his kids, but because being "safe" means putting the kids out of sight … and subsequently, out of mind.

[mewzilla]

Convict on what? If they couldn’t prove murder, then how about manslaughter? Abuse? Neglect?

There were a number of charges they could have brought against the perp.

The DA simply refused to do his/her job.

[A_perfect_lady]

The guy was a nurse. His life will be miserable. I say suicide in 3 years.

I give the poor fellow 3 months. I can't believe the vitriol on this thread. He obviously was just operating on automatic when he was driving and blanked. Just the other day I was given some anti-biotics and I opened the bottle while I was reading something online, and a few minutes later I was about to put the lid back on and suddenly I thought... did I take the pill? I sat and stared at my hands for a full minute, trying to recall... and I couldn't! I couldn't remember shaking out a pill and taking it, but my hands were ready to put the top back on. It finally occurred to me to dump them all out and count them, and I did, and either I took the pill or the pharmacist shorted me, but for the life of me I cannot remember. The mind is weird.

[Rushmore Rocks]

My grand daughter has two year old twins. She always puts her purse in the back seat after strapping them in. A woman never forgets her purse.

[A_perfect_lady]

I think what can also happen is that he went on auto-pilot while driving and then got to work thinking he had dropped them off (maybe remembering previous days), when really he blanked and didn’t realize it.

[detective]

“Accident”

Someone doesn’t accidentally leave his twin children in a hot car for 8 hours.

[Robert DeLong]

I personally find it hard to believe someone can forget they have their kids in the car, but there may be reasons people do. Not the first time we have heard of this tragedy occurring. If it was a tragic accident then he will suffer his entire remaining life. If not, he will meet judgement that he cannot escape from.

[Kickass Conservative]

If I did anything stupid like that the rest of my Life would be a living hell.

I could never forgive myself and I assume most people would feel the same way.

I believe it would drive many people to Suicide.

[Frapster]

I agree.

[shanover]

If he’d left a dog in the car they’d have crucified him.

Bingo. Happens all the time. It seems like people overall care more.

[Frapster]

I remember that guy and case. And there are others. So heart breaking.

[Frapster]

Exactly! And I pray he finds solace and doesn’t end his life.

[Boogieman]

All of your examples are “A moment of carelessness”... not “eight hours of total negligence”.

[Albion Wilde]

A moment of carelessness can have tragic consequences

Excuse us, but this was 8 HOURS of carelessness by a SOCIAL WORKER who could be called upon at work to make custody decisions about other people's children or parents.

Had he agreed to take money to the bank for an employer but left it in the car instead, whereupon it was stolen, do you think for one second there would be no intensive investigation and serious legal consequences?

He took two lives.

[Boogieman]

Little Richard put on a few pounds, eh?

[Frapster]

Naaaa... he had a moment of carelessness... your assessment of the 8 hour window is just judgmental claptrap.

[ronniesgal]

well initially he for got them because he was distracted. Maybe he does not think about his family when he’s at work. No pics on the desk, wifey did not call that day.
Look, idk, but i don’t think it was on purpose. If they do a phone / computer dump and see he’s been on “Life without Kids” websites, then that will certainly make me rethink this.

[Albion Wilde]

he’ll be in living hell the rest of his life.

So what? He should still do jail time, or at least extensive community service. His wife, older children, parents and in-laws will also be punished for the rest of their lives. One of those twins could have grown up to find the cure for cancer, but they have been lost to society because he was an idiot.

[dead]

I am pretty sure it would be possible, given the right amount of stress and an unexpected change in routine, that I could make a similar mistake. I respect the prosecutor’s decision.