The RODRIGUEZ Children (2010) - Midland (nr NM Border) TX

Midland TX ---- An 18-year-old mother and her live-in boyfriend are
accused of beating her baby boy and sexually abusing her 2 and a half year-old daughter.
The arrest affidavits tell the story of a gruesome abuse case, so bad, Midland
County Sheriff Gary Painter is calling this one of the worst child abuse
cases he has ever seen in 25 years of service.
"This is a case that rips your heart out," Sheriff Painter said. “The child had a broken
arm, and he was bleeding from his eyes. His head was swollen so bad
that his eyes were swollen shut.”
It began with the violent beating of a 19-month-old baby boy and quickly became much worse, once
investigators found out another child was involved.
That child was the boy's two and a half year-old sister, who deputies quickly
learned, was the victim of sexual abuse.
The childrens' mother, 18-year-old Iris Rodriguez, and her 18-year-old live-in boyfriend,
Joseph Charles are now behind bars.
Police have charged Charles with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child.
The affidavits describe an interview with Rodriguez, in which she explains how Charles
would take her children into a room, and lock her out, while the kids would cry out behind the closed door.
The report goes on to describe a sexual assault examination of the two and a half year- old
girl, who was bleeding from tears she received while being raped.
The baby boy is suffering from bites to his shoulders, breast and right
foot, a burn to his left leg and bodily bruising.
In that case, his mother, Rodriguez, is charged with Attempted Capitol Murder.
Charles is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, that weapon being his hands.
"A nineteen month old can't tell us, a two and a
half year old can't tell us, but the evidence will tell us," Sheriff
Painter said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they get life in the penitentiary.”
Bond for Rodriguez is set at $500,000. Bond for Charles is set at $1 million.
The baby boy is listed in stable condition tonight at Midland Memorial Hospital, his sister is now
living with her maternal great-grandmother.
Both children are now in the custody of Child Protective Services, who is monitoring the
young girl’s living situation.
The father of the little girl has stepped forward and contacted CPS about his parental rights.
There is no word yet on who, or where, the father of the 19-month baby boy is.

Midland County investigators have arrested the 18-year-old live-in
boyfriend of the teen mom who was charged this week for attempted capital murder of her son.

Joseph Mark Charles was arrested late Tuesday on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a
deadly weapon in relation with the mother and their alleged attack on the baby boy.

He was also charged with sexual assault of a 2-year-old girl.

On Monday, authorities were called to the Midland Memorial West Campus when a 19-month-old boy had been admitted
with a broken arm and multiple bruisings and bites to his body.

Upon questioning, the victim's mother Iris Liliana Rodriguez, 18, was
arrested on a charge of attempted capital murder of a person under 6-years-old.

Hospital staff called investigators around noon
Monday when the baby had been admitted with a broken left arm. A doctor
at the hospital told investigators that the arm had broken in the past
week. Rodriguez told authorities it broke when her son fell down a flight of stairs seven days ago.

An arrest affidavit states that upon investigators' arrival, the
victim also had swelling and bruising to both his eyes and was unable to
open them. He was also treated for abrasions to his face and mouth and
had bites to his shoulders, breasts and right foot.

Doctors also found bruising to his genitals and stomach area and that his left leg had been burned.

"I've been doing this for 10 years and this is the most violent case that didn't end in death that I've ever seen,"
said investigating Sgt. Rick Rowland.

Officials believed that the injuries had occurred within the past 24 hours. If left untreated, the
injuries could have been fatal, doctors told investigators.

Rodriguez told investigators at the hospital that she had been the baby's only caregiver since 8 a.m. Sunday.

After investigators saw the injuries to the baby, they ordered a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurses
Examination) to be performed on both the boy and his 2-year-old sister.
His sister was also treated at the hospital for several bruises on her body.

After the examination, doctors found that the girl's genitals had been bleeding and that she had an abrasion on them which is
"an acute injury" consistent to that of sexual assault, according to the affidavit.

Investigators questioned the mother of the
toddlers again on Tuesday, and she told authorities then that she is
scared of her boyfriend and that he has beaten her in the past.

According to the affidavit, she stated that Charles would take the two children
"to lay them down and not let her into the room."

The alleged abuse, Rodriguez said, began in the past week and that the children have
been with her and her boyfriend since May 10.

The affidavit states that when Charles would take the children into their room,
Rodriguez said "the kids would always end up crying and he would not let her in the room with them."

Upon a search of their Midland County home, investigators found semen on one of the beds.

Charles was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child in connection
with the abuse the 2-year-old girl sustained.

Both Rodriguez and Charles are being held at the Midland County Detention Center.
Rodriguez's bond is set at $200,000; Charles' bonds are set at a total
of $1 million for both charges.

The 19-month-old baby was listed in stable condition Wednesday.

Child Protective Services regional spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said Wednesday that the two children are
in the legal custody of CPS. A judge will look at the case again on May
26 to determine if further temporary custody orders need to be granted, Meisner said.

Midland TX ---- A custody hearing took place in a Midland
court on Monday.
The hearings are a preliminary step in the process
to determine the permanent placement of a Nineteen-month-old little boy
who was badly beaten and his two-and-a-half year old sister who was
sexually assaulted
Child Protective Services is asking that the court
seek termination rights of the mother and is recommending relative
adoption.
Both children are with their maternal grandmother and will
remain there through the trial of their mother, 18-year old Iris
Rodriguez.
Judge Sylvia Chavez informed Rodriguez of her court
ordered services, which include drug assessments, a psychological
evaluation and counseling through safe place.
“The abuse they
suffered is unbelievable and to think they have survived and that they
are thriving in their placement right now is nothing short of a
miracle,” says Marleigh Meisner with CPS.
Raoul Ramirez, who stepped
forward saying he is the father of the little girl, has been ordered by
the court to take a DNA test as well as both children.
And if he is
found to be the father, he will also undergo several court-mandated
services before the next hearing set for November first.

A 19-year-old Midland mother, indicted last year in one of the
most violent child abuse cases Midland County investigators said
they had ever seen, pleaded guilty Friday for her involvement and
was sentenced to the maximum prison term.

Iris Liliana Rodriguez was sentenced to 10 years in the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice by Judge John Hyde for a
third-degree felony of injury to a child. She was arrested by
Midland County Sheriff's investigators on May 17, 2010, and has
remained jailed in Midland County on a $1 million bond.According to arrest affidavits, she brought her 19-month-old son
to a Midland hospital around noon on May 17. Investigators reported
the baby's face was badly beaten, there was swelling and bruising
to both eyes and the boy was unable to open them. He was treated
for abrasions to his face and mouth and bites to his shoulders,
breasts and right foot.His left arm had been broken a week earlier, and doctors also
found bruising to his genitals and stomach area and that his left
leg had been burned.Authorities arrested Rodriguez at the hospital on a charge of
attempted capital murder of a person under 6-years-old. That charge
was later dropped when she was indicted June 9 by a Midland County
grand jury on four counts of injury to a child.As the investigation continued, authorities said they found that
Rodriguez's other child, a 2-year-old girl, had been sexually
abused within the past 24 hours and she also was treated at the
hospital for several bruises on her body.Rodriguez told the investigators in an interview that she is
scared of her live-in boyfriend, Joseph Mark Charles, and that he
had beaten her in the past. She told authorities that he would take
the children into their bedroom and he would not let her in with
them, but she could hear them crying, the Reporter-Telegram
previously reported.Charles, also 19, was arrested on May 18 and then indicted on
one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of
intent to cause serious bodily or mental injury to a child.He also remains in jail on a $1 million bond.
Read more: Teen mother sentenced to 10 years in child abuse case - Mywesttexas.com: Top Stories http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_c4b306ee-4f1f-50eb-be1a-60fcb001ba00.html#ixzz1Lgr8A2fq

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