SAN ANTONIO – The babysitter arrested after her dogs attacked her daughter and a 1-year-old boy under the woman’s care will be in civil court on Thursday for a dangerous dog hearing.
Thursday’s case is not the criminal case in which 36-year-old Heather Rodriguez faces multiple charges.
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A Bexar County spokesperson told KSAT Thursday morning that the reason for the hearing was for Rodriguez to explain why she did not willingly surrender two of the three dogs
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office seized the dog directly involved in the attack, which Rodriguez agreed to surrender ownership of. Two other dogs were also seized; however, Rodriguez did not agree to hand them over, the spokesperson said.
On Thursday, a judge will determine whether Rodriguez must hand them over or if they are deemed dangerous.
Two new charges against Rodriguez were filed last week, BCSO said in an email last Wednesday.
She is charged with injury to a child—reckless bodily injury and endangering a child, imminent danger—causing bodily injury.
The new charges stemmed from Rodriguez leaving her 13-year-old daughter alone with the baby, BCSO said.
On Oct. 8, one day before the new charges were filed, Rodriguez was arrested and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury after two dogs in her home broke through a bedroom door and attacked her 13-year-old daughter and 1-year-old baby whom Rodriguez left with the teen.
The child, Jiryiah Johnson, died Oct. 8 as a result of the injuries he had suffered, the Bexar County Medical Examiner confirmed.
Rodriguez has not been indicted in the criminal case yet and has no upcoming court hearings until she is indicted or her attorney requests a pre-indictment hearing.