Thread: Man charged in death of girlfriend's toddler

KGW, Portland OR 03:26 PM PDT on Thursday, August 3, 2006


http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/k ... e90d6.html

By KRISTINA BRENNEMAN, kgw.com Staff

HILLSBORO -- A Hillsboro man was accused Thursday of causing the death of his girlfriend's 19-month-old daughter, police said.

(photo - kgw.com/Hillsboro Police)

Ramon Rodriguez-Moreno faces multiple charges in the toddler's death.

Ramon Rodriguez-Moreno, 27, of 1625 SE Oak St. #5, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in Washington County Circuit Court. He was scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

Rodriguez-Moreno was initially arrested for first-degree criminal mistreatment and assault when he brought the toddler, Dulce Hernandez-Onofre, to Tuality Hospital Tuesday afternoon, said Lt. Henry Reimann of the Hillsboro Police. But the grand jury choose to issue an indictment on the sole manslaughter charge.

She died Wednesday morning after being transferred to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.

Rodriguez-Moreno lived with the child and her mother at the Cedar Park Apartments on Southeast Oak Street, Reimann said. The suspect had been watching the toddler while the mother was at work.

Several neighbors said the baby was happy and played in front of apartment all the time. Another mom nearby said they feel sad that this little life is gone.

A woman was knocking on apartment doors with a tincup, saying she is the toddler’s aunt and trying to raise money for the toddler's family.

Soon after arriving at Tuality Hospital Tuesday, officials there suspected abuse and called police, according to Reimann.

The child was transferred to Doernbecher Hospital Tuesday where a series of tests revealed the toddler was brain dead, which is indicative of brain injury.

An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

(KGW reporter Pat Dooris and kgw.com reporter Antonia Giedwoyn also contributed to this article.)

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Poster Note - An inquiry is pending with local news regarding citizenship status of the perpetrator - I'll post back if/when I learn something...

Illegal aliens sure kill a lot of children.