Arrest Took Place Near Site Where Dad Left his 2 Kids to Die in a Hot Car in 2019
A young girl hugs her mother minutes before police arrested her for allegedly leaving her two children unattended in an unventilated vehicle along West 183 Street and University Avenue on June 20. -Photo by David Greene
By David Greene
Bronx Voice
June 21, 2024
BRONX - An unidentified mother was arrested on the first day of Summer, after she allegedly left her two kids in the double-parked vehicle that was turned off-- as the temperature hovered outside the vehicle at 90-degrees.
The incident was reported at 10 a.m. on June 20, outside of 86 West 183 Street at University Avenue. Officers from both the 46th Precinct and the 52nd Precinct responded. Officers were observed talking to the children, a boy and a girl.
According to a witness at the scene, the mother wearing hospital scrubs was observed leaving the vehicle double parked and walking west along West 183 Street.
As police were talking to the mother, the Bronx Voice observed the young girl hysterically crying and leaving the car and running to hug her mother. The mother walked the young girl back to the car and spoke with paramedics before again joining the five police officers.
The officers walked her to the corner where she was placed in handcuffs and put in a patrol vehicle.
According to Detective Greg Greene of the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, who told the Bronx Voice, “It was a lady, she was arrested. There were two children in the car, a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old. The A.C. and the car was not on at the time.”
According to Greene, a call to 911 from a "third-party" brought EMS to the scene who arrived at 9:50 a.m., and police arrived 10 minutes later. Greene continued, “Eventually the mom came back to the scene, both children were taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons to St. Barnabas (Hospital.) He added, “Everything was fine, nothing was wrong with the children.”
Asked how police got into the apparently locked vehicle, Greene responded, “I don’t think it was open, I think it was locked and then not too clear on how they got it open. I don’t know if it was one of the kids.”
When asked how long the kids were left in the car alone, Greene replied, “I’m not sure how long before EMS got there. I know that we were there shortly after EMS.”
Greene could not immediately say what the mother was charged with, adding, “The charges should be coming down in a few minutes.”
The incident took place less than a half a mile away from the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Hospital on West Kingsbridge Road, where on July 26, 2019, Juan Rodriguez, a Rockland County resident mistakenly left his two children in an unattended car. Mariza and Phoenix Rodrigues, both 1, were declared dead at the scene.
On July 23, 2020, the Bronx District Attorney announced that Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second degree reckless endangerment and was given a 1-year conditional discharge.
The Bronx Voice will continue to monitor this developing story and will have an update in the next issue of the Bronx Voice on July 3rd.
Comments
Post a Comment