Southwest
Texas babysitter’s dogs attack toddler and teenager left alone in her care: Sheriff
A babysitter in Texas has been arrested and charged with felony injury to a child after she reportedly left a toddler and a teenager in her care alone, and then the children were attacked by the caregiver’s dogs.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said a 1-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were being cared for by Heather Rodriguez, 36, in the Central Texas town of Converse. Salazar said a preliminary investigation led them to believe Rodriguez left the children alone with her four XL American bullies.
Salazar said that Rodriguez left the home for unknown reasons and left the children in a bedroom, away from the dogs since they were “known to cause damage.”
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A babysitter’s XL American bullies allegedly attacked a toddler and teenager left in her care. (Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images)
The dogs eventually broke into the bedroom by destroying a connecting bathroom door that they’d already previously damaged, Salazar said.
Salazar said the dogs began biting the toddler once they got into the room.
“The 13-year-old was able to maintain control of the baby, but at this point, and what’s being described to me, it was almost a tug of war for the baby between at least one of the dogs and the little girl,” the sheriff said.
The additional dogs joined the fray, and the teenage girl spent “several minutes trying to fight them off,” Salazar said.
“At a certain point, she had to break away and physically left the baby behind in the bathroom,” the sheriff said. (She was) being attacked while she went to go get her cell phone to call for help.”
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A toddler and teenager were allegedly left alone by their babysitter an attacked by her dogs. These are the stairs inside the home of babysitter Heather Rodriguez. (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office)
The girl called 911, safely got the toddler into another room and barricaded themselves in there. She had to push against the door to prevent the dogs from compromising that entrance.
Deputies arrived and took control of the scene, which included rendering first aid to the 1-year-old child before taking him to the hospital.
“From what we understand about the baby right now, he’s definitely in critical condition,” Salazar said Monday at a news conference, according to USA Today. “I’ve actually seen some pictures of the baby from our body camera video… it’s heartbreaking to see anybody in that condition.”
Salazar said the baby sustained “pretty severe head injuries” and that he couldn’t breathe normally after damage to his throat and airway.
The sheriff said the children’s parents were unaware that Rodriguez had “problematic” dogs and that he believed “they would not have let (Rodriguez) care for their baby the way that they did had they known that these dogs were unsafe.”
He added that the teenage girl’s quick actions likely prevented a situation that could have turned out much worse than it is.
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A toddler and teenager were allegedly left alone by their babysitter an attacked by her dogs. This is damage inside the home of babysitter Heather Rodriguez. (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office)
“I’ve got to be honest, the 13-year-old in this instance, I’m considering her a hero,” Salazar said. “I think her actions led to the baby not being mauled even more seriously, or even killed as a result of this savage dog attack.”
Child Protective Services has been called to monitor the welfare of both children, particularly for the physical well-being of the toddler and the mental well-being of the teenager.
Rodriguez, in addition to her felony injury to a child charge, has also been cited for letting her dogs run freely without a leash. The sheriff said it’s clear that two of the dogs participated in the attack, but perhaps all of them were involved.
“Obviously, for me, any dog that took part in it needs to be put down,” Salazar said. “As heartbreaking as that sounds, the life of a little baby is much more important.”
Salazar said Rodriguez was more concerned about her dogs being taken away than the fact two children in her care were attacked and injured by them. The dogs are now with Bexar County Animal Control, which will determine what happens to them.
“If we’re able to find out that one of the dogs, or several of the dogs were not responsible, then fine,” Salazar said. “Perhaps those can go back, but (Rodriguez) seemed to be more concerned with what was going on with those dogs than with the fact that her inaction (and) her omissions almost caused the death of a baby.”
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Los Angeles, Ca
‘Moana’ is a triumph for Pacific Islander representation on the big screen
“Moana” has been called a box office flop, an unnecessary money grab by Walt Disney Studios, but what it hasn’t been called yet is a triumphant win for cultural representation on the big screen.
The live-action adaptation of the beloved 2016 animated movie “Moana” effectively bombed at the box office, making much less money than industry insiders anticipated.
While it failed to live up to the expectations of the box office and critics alike, the film did exceed the expectations of moviegoers of Pacific Island descent, and they’ve taken to social media to express just how much the movie means to them.
Moana is more than the main character’s name. It means ocean across several Pacific Islander languages.
One user explained how this kind of representation is more than entertainment.
“When I watched ‘Moana,’ I couldn’t hold back my tears. I heard the language of my parents, the language of my people. I saw our traditional Samoan clothing, our weaving, our siva, our culture, our values. I saw my people. I saw me.”
Another user said seeing Pacific Islanders on the silver screen influenced her own artistry.
“Representation matters. As a sometimes-Female-Polynesian-filmmaker (depending on the day and my imposter syndrome), seeing our stories on a screen this big makes me dream a little bigger too.”
Even the film’s star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, spoke to the film’s representation in a recent Instagram post.
“I feel that our movie ‘Moana’ will always serve a bigger purpose than just a film – it’s representation. Our Polynesian culture showcased to the world, and embraced by the world – with love, humility, warrior spirit and MANA.”
That representation was taken as a serious responsibility by the actors and creative team behind the scenes of Disney’s latest live-action remake.
“We got chosen for a reason,” Rena Owen, who plays Gramma Tala in the film, explains.
“Every single one of us, whether that’s an actor, whether that’s a creative, whether that’s a crew person. We’re raised that way, we’re raised in villages and we’re raised… on our earth, with our sky father and our moana, that’s what we all have in common. So, we just had to be ourselves.”
Disney once again leaned on members of its Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group formed over a decade ago to ensure cultural accuracy for the first “Moana” movie.
The trust’s lead consultant, Dr. Grant Muāgututiʻa, spoke about the work that went into bringing Moana to life on screen.
“We have a big responsibility to our folks who are gonna be watching the film. We’re elated that the film crew and the filmmakers were really receptive to all of the input that we had and we’re really happy with the way it turned out.”
Dr. Muāgututiʻa is a linguist by trade, serving as Assistant Professor of Linguistics at California State University San Marcos. He told KTLA he was thrilled that people of Samoan descent can hear their language spoken in a major Disney film.
“The mountaintop scene where you can hear both Jon Tui, who plays Chief Tui, and Catherine Laga’aia, who plays Moana speaking Samoan. And then the Siva Tau scene, where Seiuli Dwayne Johnson also speaks Samoan. I think those are special moments that are new, especially for our people to see. They’re able to experience real islanders that are proud of their culture.”
“Moana” Choreographer and Cultural Trust member Tiana Nonosina Liufau agreed.
“Seeing an all-Pasifika cast, and hearing them, there’s a lot of Mana in that, hearing these words come out of their mouth, something audiences can trace back to their genealogy, that’s priceless. All worth it.”
Los Angeles, Ca
LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture
Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.
Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.
On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.
Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.
Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.
“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.
The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.
Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.
Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.
Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.
Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.
Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.
The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.
“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.
“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”
The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.
Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.
The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.
Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.
Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.
Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.
They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.
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