UPDATE | Father is jailed after baby left alone in Richland hotel bathtub dies
An Oregon man is in jail on suspicion of manslaughter after his baby drowned in a bathtub on Sunday.
Jonnathan Kaimana Rodriguez, 24, was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of manslaughter on Thursday night.
Richland police said the investigation is ongoing, but Rodriguez’s arrest is related to the drowning death of his 13-month-old son, Kastin Rodriguez, in a bathtub at a hotel on the 1300 block of Tapteal Drive.
Rodriguez made his first appearance in Benton County Superior Court on Friday afternoon, and his bail was set at $50,000.
Public records show he is from Prineville in Central Oregon, but has been living in Tri-Cities-area hotels, according to prosecutors.
Baby left alone
Rodriguez told police and responding medics that he found the baby face down in the bathtub.
He said he had placed the boy in the tub, started the water and plugged the bathtub, before walking away for 10 to 15 minutes to find the baby’s bath items, according to court documents filed Friday.
Investigators also spoke to hotel employees who said the father had previously left the child alone on several occasions.
On Oct. 27 a maintenance worker walked into the room and found the child alone. The worker was able to locate Rodriguez outside with other residents about 10 minutes later.
The next day a hotel employee told investigators they went to drop off a cleaning notice and heard a child crying hysterically, and no one was responding when they knocked on the door.
The employee decided to perform a welfare check, opening the door with a master key. They found the baby shut in the bathroom with the door closed and Rodriguez asleep on the bed. The employee said it took several shouts before he woke up.
Investigators said multiple hotel neighbors and employees claimed they heard Rodriguez yelling at the baby, telling him to shut up or talking aggressively at him, according to the documents.
In an interview with Rodriguez’s girlfriend, the woman told police he was inattentive, and would not respond to the baby’s crying. She said he would also yell at the baby to “shut up.” Documents were not clear if she is the baby’s mother.
Investigators said that Rodriguez was inconsistent in his statements, but had said he knew it was wrong to leave the baby alone, and that he had caused his child’s death.
This story was originally published November 4, 2022 at 12:43 PM.
