Father left 7-month-old who 'could barely sit up' in the bathtub to drown while he chatted on the phone

A Connecticut antheral volition walk respective years down bars aft leaving 2 children unattended successful a bathtub — 1 of whom drowned.

On Wednesday, Angel Marcus Rodriguez, 30, pleaded blameworthy to 1 number each of manslaughter and hazard of wounded to a child.

In speedy fashion, the suspect was sentenced to 15 years successful prison, with 10 years suspended. In existent terms, Rodriguez volition walk 5 years successful situation and past 3 years connected probation aft his release.

The punishment was assessed implicit the decease of 7-month-old Angel Josiah Rodriguez — and the harm that precise good could person befallen the small boy's 3-year-old brother.

The underlying incidental occurred precocious connected Oct. 6, 2024, astatine a location connected Redfield Avenue successful East Haven, a medium-sized municipality located a fewer miles eastbound of New Haven and portion of the broader metro area.

The begetter admittedly near his 2 children unsocial successful the bathtub portion helium went to usage different bath successful the residence due to the fact that the toilet successful the children's bath did not flush adequately, according to an apprehension warrant obtained by the New Haven Register.

Rodriguez did not initially callback however agelong helium was gone connected the nighttime successful question. Later, the suspect told investigators helium was gone for possibly 5 minutes portion the 2 children were successful the bathtub alone.

Angel was recovered by his grandmother, facedown successful the tub, portion his older member was playing with artifact cars close beside him.

"He conscionable turned over," the older lad told his grandma erstwhile she walked in, according to instrumentality enforcement.

At specified a young age, Angel could not beryllium up connected his own. He was propped up successful an Angelcare marque "Back Support" bathing chair, which the institution describes arsenic "ideal for newborn babies up to six months oregon 9 kg/20 lbs.," according to the warrant.

The grandma would spell connected to archer investigators she grabbed some children retired of the tub and ran into her son's chamber — wherever she recovered him talking connected his cellphone. Then, she yelled astatine her lad to dial 911 arsenic she performed CPR connected the child, constabulary noted.

Those lifesaving efforts were passed connected to the children's aunt, investigators wrote successful the warrant, who overheard the shouting upstairs and came moving — rapidly relieving the grandma and trying to property beingness backmost into the babe boy's chest.

The children's grandma told constabulary she had ne'er earlier seen her lad capable the bathtub up truthful high. Normally, the h2o would lone scope halfway up the baby's bathing chair, the pistillate said.

Rodriguez, speaking to detectives done tears that night, said helium near the h2o connected "just a trickle" and that it was lone astatine the level of the baby's feet erstwhile helium near the children by themselves.

Investigators besides noted different factors that mightiness person contributed to the h2o levels successful the bathtub. Such factors included: whether oregon not the plug was successful the drain — this was unclear; whether oregon not the h2o was inactive moving — the grandma said it was not; oregon if the 3-year-old had touched the faucet oregon the plug — Rodriguez said helium told his older lad not to interaction either faucet oregon plug. Efforts to interrogation the surviving kid were swiftly abandoned due to the fact that helium could neither recognize the questions nor stay focused, constabulary said.

All the while, the parent of the children, Elizabeth Portocarrero, was driving from her enactment successful Stamford to East Haven to prime up the boys.

She spoke during the sentencing proceeding and aboriginal expressed outrage connected the courtroom steps aft each was said and done, according to the New Haven Register and New Haven-based ABC affiliate WTNH.

"What bash you mean, 5 years?" she asked retired loud. "That's nothing. I expected thing higher for accountability to an guiltless kid that could hardly beryllium up by himself. There is nary moving connected from losing a child. It's much similar accepting, surviving with it, and I person to unrecorded for my different son, and that's what I americium going to do. I americium going to beryllium beardown due to the fact that 1 time my clip volition travel and I volition beryllium with my lad again."

The since-convicted antheral addressed the tribunal during the hearing.

"This is simply a achy enactment that affects galore radical present that volition past a lifetime," Rodriguez said. "I conscionable privation to apologize to my household and Elizabeth's family. We are each present due to the fact that I failed him. I would springiness thing to person him backmost oregon adjacent commercialized places with him."

The suspect was primitively arrested successful April 2025 and charged with manslaughter and 2 counts each of hazard of wounded to a kid arsenic good arsenic second-degree reckless endangerment.