Two parents of a Chicago infant are facing murder charges after the father allegedly suffocated the crying child as the mother watched, leaving her brain dead before she eventually passed away.
On Friday, Rodrigo Rodriguez, 29, and his girlfriend Angela Petrov, 21, faced upgraded charges of murder, according to NBC Chicago. Each was originally charged with aggravated battery to a child, their 5-month-old daughter Angelina Rodriguez, after the baby was reported unresponsive in their Rogers Park home on April 11.
The Sun-Times reports on Thursday, the medical examiner’s office ruled baby Angelina’s death a homicide, caused by asphyxia from suffocation.
Examining doctors also noticed older skull fractures on the baby, authorities said. The baby's 6-year-old brother — the only sibling in the home that is not Rodriguez's biological child — told authorities he witnessed the alleged suffocation that lead to Angelina's death and his mother's inaction, the Tribune reports.
According to court records, the boy also saw Rodriguez place his hand over Angelina's mouth several times in the past to quiet her from crying. Rodriguez has a prior criminal history, according to the Tribune.
The couple will appear in court Friday. A judge previously ordered both parents be held in lieu of $5 million bond.
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