A Beeville grandmother has formally been charged in the death of her 9-month-old granddaughter.
Ruth Rodriguez, 69, is facing a charge of criminally negligent homicide in the death of her granddaughter, Gabriella Ruth Arroyos.
On Aug. 21, Arroyos was found dead in the back seat of Rodriguez’s car. Beeville police took to social media to let the community know what happened.
“It’s taking a toll on my officers, and we’ll get through this. She’ll have justice,” said Kevin Behr, chief of the Beeville Police Department.
Behr said Rodriguez was getting ready to pick up her grandson at his high school when Gabriella’s father called her asking why the 9-month-old had not been dropped off at day care. That is when Rodriguez realized her granddaughter was still in the car, police said.
“She failed to check her back seat. She forgot that the child was there. And again, didn’t discover the child until four o’clock that afternoon,” Behr said.
Arroyos had been in the car for nearly five hours.
During the investigation, officers used a laser thermometer to determine the temperature in the car; it read 107 degrees.
According to an affidavit, Rodriguez was distraught, crying and having trouble breathing when police arrived.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Rodriguez was released after posting a $50,000 bond.
The next step is for Beeville Police to hand their investigation to the District Attorney. The DA is expected to present the case to a grand jury.
The grand jury will decide whether to indict Rodriguez and hold her for trial.
Below are important safety tips to remember:
- Make sure your child is never left alone in a car.
- Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.
- Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)
- Ask your child care provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
- Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.
Ways to make sure children cannot get into a parked car:
- Keep vehicles locked at all times, especially in the garage or driveway. Ask neighbors and visitors to do the same.
- Never leave car keys within reach of children.
- Use childproofing knob covers and door alarms to prevent children from exiting your home unnoticed.
- Teach children to honk the horn or turn on hazard lights if they become stuck inside a car.
- If a child is missing, immediately check the inside, floorboards and trunk of all vehicles in the area carefully, even if they’re locked.
