What to Know
- The dad accused in the deaths of his 1-year-old twins after he said he blanked out and forgot them in the car appeared in court Thursday
- The hearing was brief; the DA still has yet to decide whether to put a case before the grand jury. If she does, the dad won't testify
- His attorney calls the twins' deaths a tragic mistake and said his client and family have dedicated their lives to preventing similar cases
The Bronx district attorney still has not put the case of a father accused of leaving his 1-year-old twins to die in a car on a hot summer day before a grand jury, nor has there been a plea offer.
Juan Rodriguez was in court again Thursday, months after the July 26 death of his twins, whom he left in a parking lot when he went to work as temperatures soared. The hearing lasted less than five minutes; Rodriguez's bail was continued and yet another follow-up court date was set for early December.
Rodriguez's attorney said Thursday that if or when his client's case goes to grand jury, the father would not testify.
Rodriguez previously said he "blanked out" when he forgot to drop the babies off at day care in Yonkers that day. Eight hours later they were found dead in Rodriguez’s parked car in the Bronx.
The father could face manslaughter charges, pending a criminal determination by Bronx prosecutors.
Rodriguez has been out on bail since his twins Phoenix and Luna died. The father, who has three other children, including a 4-year-old boy, "has been extremely transparent" about what happened, Jackson said.
When the children were found, a sobbing Rodriguez told investigators he "blanked out, my babies are dead, I killed my babies" when he forgot them in the car that day in July.
