CINCINNATI — The fate of a woman accused of torturing her 13-year-old stepson is in the hands of a jury.
Amy Rodriguez faces 11 counts of child endangerment after the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office said she beat her stepson with belts and spoons, withheld food, refused to allow the child to use the restroom and strapped the child to a bed.
The jury deliberated began deliberating Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. and were called to break for the weekend just before 4 p.m. They are expected to continue deliberation Monday at 9:30 a.m.
During the trial, prosecutors said the child moved in with Rodriguez and her husband, Anthony Dangel, after his biological mother died. Dangel, the child's biological father, is accused of knowing the abuse occurred and doing nothing to intervene.
On Thursday, prosecutors detailed alleged abuse against the child at the hands of Rodriguez. Attorneys for the state said Rodriguez used punishments including forcing him to stand or sit in a specific spot all day, and using cameras to monitor him.
“Sitting on a bench by itself for a timeout, of course, is not excessive,” said Jennifer Deering, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor. “However, that's not what was taking place here. This was taking place for hours and hours and days on end.”
Deering said the child was not allowed to use the restroom when he wanted and was punished when he had accidents.
Both the child and his father, Dangel, testified earlier in the trial.
"There would be points where I would have to use the restroom so bad that I would accidentally pee on myself," the child previously said. "So, I would be thrown into a cold shower ... not literally thrown, but forcefully put into the shower, put on the coldest setting and forced to take a shower while being watched."
Defense attorneys argued that there was no abuse. Instead, Rodriguez's attorneys said the stepson had many behavior problems.
“Adults are weaponizing abuse allegations and the danger of that is here,” said Alex Deardorff, an attorney for Rodriguez. “It is this trial.”
During closing arguments, Deardorff read a letter she said the child wrote in 2020 in his diary, which would have been during the time of the alleged abuse.
“She's taken [my brother] and I in as if we are on her up her own. She has taught us practically everything she knows,” Deardorff read. “I have officially decided to call her by her well-deserved title ‘Mom.’”
Prosecutors said the child wrote diary entries like that knowing Rodriguez would find them.
On Thursday, Deardorff asked jurors to question the credibility of witnesses and the timing of when they voiced concerns.
“You heard no testimony from an expert or from anyone that there is some reasonable issue despite him getting up on the stand and saying that,” she said.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez ignored the advice of medical and behavioral experts to address the child’s behavioral concerns.
“It had nothing to do with being worried about disciplining him because he had bad behaviors,” Deering said. “It had nothing to do with feeling bad for him because of the trauma he suffered. Had nothing to do with just wanting to see him get help. It was only wanting him to be controlled.”
If Rodriguez is convicted on all 11 counts, she faces a maximum of 88 years in prison.
Her parents Armin and Susan Rodriguez are also on trial, facing counts of child endangerment and complicity. They are also listed as defendants in this case, so the jury will decide their fate too.
Prosecutors said the same abuse that took place at the child’s home took place at their house too. Attorneys for Armin and Susan Rodriguez said the allegations do line up with the facts.
You can read more about the trial here.
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