TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Father Accused Of Causing Baby's Brain Injuries
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 9, 2008
A Tampa father is suspected of shaking his 3-week-old daughter vigorously, causing her brain damage, according to an arrest report.
The incident happened April 10 while Jose Roberto Estrada-Reyes, 27, was babysitting his daughter, police said. Doctors told police she'd suffered bleeding surrounding the brain, retinal hemorrhages, a skull fracture and a subdural hematoma — a traumatic brain injury.
Estrada-Reyes appeared via a video screen in a Hillsborough County courtroom today for arraignment on one count of aggravated child abuse.
The mother of the infant, Alicia Rodriguez, 19, shares another child with Estrada-Reyes and told Judge Walter C. Heinrich she was working when it happened.
Police and doctors "said while I was at work, something happened to the baby in order for it to get a brain fracture," Rodriguez said.
"Who else could have done it?" Heirich said.
"The babysitter," she said.
She told Heinrich that she'd gotten custody back of the child on April 16 and that the baby was "doing OK, normal." She also said the infant has an appointment with a neurosurgeon this month.
An assistant state attorney expressed concern over the father being released, noting Rodriguez appeared to have a favorable attitude toward Estrada-Reyes.
Heinrich said this was not an offense in which he could hold a defendant without setting a bond. He set bail at $20,000 bond and told Estrada-Reyes to stay away from his family.
"Your relationship with this lady and with this child is over, as well as your other child," Heinrich said. "I will not allow you to be around them at this point."
This was not the first time police have investigated violence in the family's home.
The baby girl was born March 18. Six days earlier, police arrested Estrada-Reyes on a domestic battery charge, according to reports.
His girlfriend's mother, Sherri L. Rodriguez, 47, had been living with them for about a year and told police Estrada-Reyes had punched and pushed her because he considered the TV was turned up too loud for him to sleep.
Estrada-Reyes denied hitting Sherri Rodriguez, and she did not require medical care, according to the incident report.
On March 19, the state attorney's office abandoned the charge, according to state records.
The victim failed to appear in court, a prosecutor told Heinrich.
Police have notified federal immigration officials that Estrada-Reyes is in the country illegally, McElroy said. Further charges are pending against him, she said.
Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
Reader Comments
Posted by ( allcolorsandnone ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow. She lost custody of this poor baby before because of him evidently, has another kid by him at 19 - and now this. I hope she's responsible enough for the lifetime of 24/7 care this innocent child has to have now.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( luvco ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
To all you male staff writers at TBO.
You DO NOT babysit your OWN children.
Morons.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( RangerDave ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
luvco...AMEN! I never liked it when my guy friends referred to it like that either.
What a tragic event that didn't need to happen.
Oh yeah...AND HE SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN BEEN HERE!!! HE WAS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!!!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( DarthMandingo ) on May 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Well in all fairness, she (the "mother") also referred to him as the "babysitter"
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( lulu ) on May 9, 2008 at 5 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
i wonder how many people would go and get themself spayed if it was free??we have a LAW WITH ANIMALS TO DO SO.come on people we need some reality here.we need to stop building prisons and letting bu1ls3it like this to go on.theres crapout there and it sucks to step in it or to keep kicking it to the wayside.no idoits allowed in my backyard.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Quagmire ) on May 9, 2008 at 5:13 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The same thing happened to jakada2 when she was small.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( brobeth1 ) on May 9, 2008 at 6:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Quagmire: LMAO!!!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( lovemy2boys ) on May 9, 2008 at 6:35 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
What a POS!!! I hope the mom has enough common sense not to take this idiot back!! Sadly VERY few women in this world stop letting a man like this keep coming back. Next time the baby will end up dead. LADIES...IF THEY DO IT ONCE THEY WILL DO IT AGAIN!! LOVE YOUR CHILDREN ENOUGH TO PROTECT THEM!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( chief94 ) on May 9, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
maybe someone should just shake the H__l out of him. it takes a Real Man to do this crap to a baby.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Old_FL_Crab ) on May 9, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
@chief94, We could rent a big concrete mixer for a day ;-)
Report Inappropriate Comments