SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County woman was indicted by a grand jury after she was accused of leaving a 1-year-old boy alone with her three dogs that killed him.
Heather Rodriguez, 36, was indicted Wednesday on charges of child abandonment/endangerment and recklessly causing bodily injury to a child.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said the child was in Rodriguez’s care on Oct. 7 when she left the home.
The child was left in a room with her 13-year-old daughter to keep the child away from the dogs, deputies said.
Officials said the dogs, who previously damaged the door, forced their way into the room.
Authorities said the teenager tried to protect the 1-year-old boy — later identified as Jiryiah Johnson — but it was a “tug of war” between her and the three dogs.
The dogs mauled Johnson. Officials said the teenager was also bitten in the process.
Once authorities arrived, they rendered aid to Johnson, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
A Bexar County judge ordered Rodriguez’s three dogs to be euthanized.
Rodriguez’s trial date has not yet been set.
More coverage of this story on KSAT:
