CHEVIOT, Ohio — A Miami Township Fire employee and his wife were indicted on child endangerment charges Feb. 25 after a "lengthy investigation" into alleged child abuse at their Cheviot home.
Amy Rodriguez, 45, is accused of recklessly torturing or cruelly abusing her stepchild, the biological child of 43-year-old Anthony Dangel, from 2018 to 2021. Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters said Rodriguez beat the now 13-year-old with belts and spoons, withheld food, refused to allow the child to use the restroom and strapped the child to a bed.
Deters said Dangel knew of the abuse and failed to stop it. He was charged with one count of child endangering, while Rodriguez faces 11 counts of child endangering. If convicted on all counts, Rodriguez faces a maximum possible sentence of 88 years in prison.
"This is disgusting and senseless," Deters said. "This is not a parent who lost control and made a mistake, but a woman who purposefully tortured a child for years. To do this to a child is beyond comprehension."
Deters said the child is severely underweight and suffers from persistent damage to his legs and feet due to being forced to stand in a corner for days at a time.
"There are some people who should simply never be parents," Deters said. "These two should never be permitted around children again, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that is the case."
The Miami Township Fire Department said Dangel was placed on administrative leave without pay effective immediately. The department said Rodriguez has not worked for Miami Township since December 2019.
Rodriguez and Dangel are currently being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center while they await arraignment.
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