Lawmakers: Child Cares Could Help Flag Children Forgotten in Cars

Juan Rodriguez, the Westchester father whose twin babies died after he forgot them in the back seat of his car last July, is supporting a new safety proposal uncovered by the I-Team. The new bill, introduced in the State Assembly, would require child care centers to alert parents within one hour when children are not dropped off as planned. Rodriguez says he “blanked out” when he forgot to drop the babies off at day care in Yonkers. Eight hours later they were found dead in Rodriguez’s parked car in the Bronx. Rodriguez faces manslaughter charges and is due back in court this week, awaiting a determination by Bronx prosecutors. Rodriguez’s lawyer tells the I-Team “While Juan and Marissa are not blaming their day care center at all for this horrific tragedy, they do believe that such a proposal can potentially save countless lives of children in the future. Any new law that is geared toward protecting children, as here, is one that has their full support.”