A New York City social worker has been charged with two counts of manslaughter after his one-year-old twins were found dead in the backsea...
A New York City social worker has been charged with two counts of manslaughter after his one-year-old twins were found dead in the backseat of his car.
Juan Rodriguez was also charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide over the deaths of daughter Mariza and son Phoenix after he accidentally left them inside his hot vehicle for eight hours on Friday.
Rodriguez, 39, is reported to have parked his Honda Accord in The Bronx around 8am, before heading off to work at a nearby Veterans Association hospital.
He returned to his vehicle at 4pm and began driving off, before realizing that his twins were on the backseat.
The babies were dead and 'foaming at the mouth', according to The New York Post.
Juan Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of manslaughter after his one-year-old twins were found dead in the backseat of his car. The father is pictured doting on the children in a Facebook photo taken last year
Rodriguez is pictured with his wife and their twins Mariza and Phoenix in a recent family photo
Rodriguez, 39, is reported to have parked his Honda Accord in The Bronx around 8am, before heading off to work at a nearby Veterans Association hospital. He forgot his twins were inside
The paper reports that Rodriguez began screaming upon discovering his deceased children - prompting a bystander to call 911.
He was arrested and taken into custody. Charges were formally laid against him in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Temperatures in New York City reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday.
Rodriguez is pictured with his wife and other family members shortly after the births of Mariza and Phoenix
Police covered the silver Honda Accord with a white sheet and scaffolding as they conducted their investigation
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the inside of a car can reach up to 172 degrees if outside temperatures range from 80 to 100 degrees.
On Friday evening, shocked bystanders gathered at the scene, as police cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
One onlooker told Pix 11: 'How can you leave the children behind and forget? As a father, you're supposed to take care of your family, take care of your responsibilities.'
Doting dad: The social worker is seen with one of the twins on a family day out
Police quickly descended upon the tragic scene, and the father of the twins was arrested and taken into custody
Rodriguez had a third child - a three-year-old boy - who was dropped off in Yonkers earlier in the morning. That child is unharmed.
Facebook photos show Rodriguez as a devoted family man who was frequently pictured doting on the twins.
One image shows the social worker peacefully sleeping with the babies lying on his chest shortly after their births.