According to Pennsylvania authorities, a 6-year-old girl has died after being locked in a room. The Berks County District Attorney’s Office news release states that the death has been ruled a homicide.
Consequently, her grandparents, Jazmine and Manuel Rodriguez, have been arrested and charged in connection with her death. According to the DA’s office, the police were called to a Pennsylvania residence about a toddler suffering from cardiac arrest.
Police Ruled the Death a Homicide
On May 28, 2024, the Reading Police Department was called to a residence on Schuylkill Avenue in Beria County. The call was about a 6-year-old girl who was suffering from cardiac arrest
After the police arrived, Reading Fire and EMS staff reported that the girl had been in an ambulance and seemed to have been dead for some time. Subsequently, the Berks County Detectives Child Abuse Unit took up the case.
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Upon reaching the scene, police discovered that the victim was under the supervision of her uncle and grandparents, Manuel Rodriguez Sr. and Jazmine A. Rodriguez. Throughout the inquiry, many search warrants were executed.
Authorities collected evidence from their home, including the mobile phones of the three family members and a home security video camera system.
The Cause of Death
After conducting an autopsy, officials discovered that the child had died from dehydration and excessive exposure to heat. According to the medical examiner, the girl’s body displayed evidence of a lack of access to water and ventilation.
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The DA’s office also added that she had developed severe rashes after being left in a soiled diaper for days before her death. Additionally, the DA’s office said she was kept in a hot room with poor air circulation, possibly reaching 100 degrees with high humidity. This was also confirmed by the medical examiner.
According to the autopsy, her condition was consistent for more than three days. On Monday, August 5, 2024, the Reading School District informed the parents of the child’s passing. Subsequently, the superintendent of schools, Jennifer Murray, called the child’s death a tragedy.
Murray said, “The loss of a young life is always a profound tragedy, and the circumstances surrounding this child’s death are particularly horrific. We urge anyone in our community with knowledge about a child in harm’s way to report it.”
According to the district records, the homicide victim attended school during portions of the 2022–2023 academic year and the 2021–2022. However, the district representatives said that the child was not seen in school in the 2023–2024 academic year.
What the Medical Examiner Said About the Homicide
On May 29, 2024, a forensic pathologist with Reading Tower Health, Neil Hoffman, performed the victim’s autopsy. On August 2, 2024, Hoffman presented his findings to the authorities.
Hoffman stated that the victim’s extended exposure to high temperatures as a result of child negligence and dehydration was the cause of her death. Dr. Hoffman discovered that the victim had severe diaper rash many days before she passed away because she had been wearing a soiled diaper.
The physician also concluded that the victim may have been sleeping in a room that was 100 degrees with 90% humidity due to a lack of air circulation. According to Dr. Hoffman, the victim’s state at the time of her death was consistent with having been in the room alone for longer than three days.
Afterward, an arrest warrant was issued for all three suspects by the Berks County Courthouse
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One Suspect Is Still at Large
With her death ruled a homicide, her grandparents, Jazmine and Manuel, were taken into custody on Monday, August 5, 2024. However, a third suspect, her uncle, Manuel A. Rodriguez, Jr., is yet to be arrested and is now a fugitive.
According to reports, the authorities have charged Manuel, Jazmine, and Manuel Jr. with criminal homicide and false imprisonment. The charges also include unlawful restraint, serious bodily injury, and neglect of children by a parent.
Additionally, they are charged with reckless endangerment, fabricating physical evidence, and conspiracy. The suspects have been placed under arrest at the Berks County Courthouse, with Manuel Jr. still at large.
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