Kalehue
April 25th, 2009, 05:14 PM
http://media2.myfoxphilly.com//photo/2009/04/24/042409keeley12_tmb0001_20090424121643389_320_240.J PG
The man accused of beating his girlfriend's 2 year-old son to death made his first court appearance today in cape may county. Jennifer Husko speaks to the toddler's father as he copes with the loss of the boy he says was taken too soon.
"It's hard on this family, very, very hard on them right now," said Olga Anglero as she stands by her friend, Juan Rivera, offering support as he copes with the loss of his 2-year-old son, Caden Rivera.
"He said Oh my life is ruined, I just, they have nothing to say."
It was Wednesday afternoon, when the toddler's mother, Jennifer Bowen left her son, who has cerebral palsy, alone in her woodbine manor apartment, with her boyfriend, 31 year old Damian Garcia Rodriguez while she ran errands.
"When she came back, he told her the baby was asleep...but the baby was already dying slowly…my dad saw him, said baby going like…like trying to catch his breath...the baby was on his last breath."
Caden's father is angry that instead of calling 911, Bowen and Garcia Rodriguez drove the boy to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
When the autopsy came back, the results horrified Caden's family, and led authorities to believe the injuries were inflicted by Garcia Rodriguez. "He punched the baby in the stomach, it ruptured everything inside."
Authorities arrested Garcia Rodriguez late Thursday night, and he made his first court appearance Friday morning. Family and friends say he's denying everything. "Police caught him in his car, trying to escape...and if he didn't do nothing like he says, why you have luggage, why you trying to go?"
Neighbors say despite the fact that DYFS previously took three of Bowen’s children, she appeared to take good care of Caden.
But Rivera says he noticed evidence of abuse and even says it was reported to DYFS...and in his heart knows it was Garcia Rodriguez that was hurting his child. "He wanted his son to be safe, but he says they didn't do nothing." As he stands with family and friends, Rivera hopes both Bowen and Garcia Rodriguez pay for what happened. "He wants if for both, he wants maximum for both…because they took his son."http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=9019
"I've seen the baby with the black and blue on his face," said the father of 2-year-old Caden Rivera.
The father said he's not just angry at Garcia but also the Cape May Division of Youth and Family Services, which he claims ignored all of his complaints and demands to remove his son from the mother's apartment.
That's where prosecutors allege Garcia was watching the boy while the mother went to get the son -- who had cerebral palsy -- some medication Wednesday afternoon.
"Jennifer was very distraught, very, very distraught. And she was crying that, you know, 'That bastard, he killed my baby,'" one woman told Fox 29 News.
"She always had him with her. I mean, he was such a happy little thing,"
Caden's mother, Jennifer Bowen, was too upset to talk Friday morning, her sister said. But she did stop by a local diner, Dionysus Restaurant -- the same one she took her son to almost every day -- and told friends there what happened.
"The boyfriend said, 'Oh, he threw up all over the place, but now he's asleep. You may want to check on him because he doesn't look very well," one friend said, recounting what she was told.
As soon as Bowen returned home Wednesday afternoon and saw that Caden was unconscious and turning blue, she and Garcia then rushed her son to Cape Regional Medical Center, where doctors tried to revive him, Keeley reported.
State troopers said, however, the boy may have already been dead when he got to the hospital. An autopsy showed he died of internal bleeding and severe abdominal injuries, and his death was immediately ruled a homicide.http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/Wildwood_Damon_Garcia_Manslaughter_Charges_Two_Yea r_Old_04_24_09
The man accused of beating his girlfriend's 2 year-old son to death made his first court appearance today in cape may county. Jennifer Husko speaks to the toddler's father as he copes with the loss of the boy he says was taken too soon.
"It's hard on this family, very, very hard on them right now," said Olga Anglero as she stands by her friend, Juan Rivera, offering support as he copes with the loss of his 2-year-old son, Caden Rivera.
"He said Oh my life is ruined, I just, they have nothing to say."
It was Wednesday afternoon, when the toddler's mother, Jennifer Bowen left her son, who has cerebral palsy, alone in her woodbine manor apartment, with her boyfriend, 31 year old Damian Garcia Rodriguez while she ran errands.
"When she came back, he told her the baby was asleep...but the baby was already dying slowly…my dad saw him, said baby going like…like trying to catch his breath...the baby was on his last breath."
Caden's father is angry that instead of calling 911, Bowen and Garcia Rodriguez drove the boy to the hospital, where he died a short time later.
When the autopsy came back, the results horrified Caden's family, and led authorities to believe the injuries were inflicted by Garcia Rodriguez. "He punched the baby in the stomach, it ruptured everything inside."
Authorities arrested Garcia Rodriguez late Thursday night, and he made his first court appearance Friday morning. Family and friends say he's denying everything. "Police caught him in his car, trying to escape...and if he didn't do nothing like he says, why you have luggage, why you trying to go?"
Neighbors say despite the fact that DYFS previously took three of Bowen’s children, she appeared to take good care of Caden.
But Rivera says he noticed evidence of abuse and even says it was reported to DYFS...and in his heart knows it was Garcia Rodriguez that was hurting his child. "He wanted his son to be safe, but he says they didn't do nothing." As he stands with family and friends, Rivera hopes both Bowen and Garcia Rodriguez pay for what happened. "He wants if for both, he wants maximum for both…because they took his son."http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=9019
"I've seen the baby with the black and blue on his face," said the father of 2-year-old Caden Rivera.
The father said he's not just angry at Garcia but also the Cape May Division of Youth and Family Services, which he claims ignored all of his complaints and demands to remove his son from the mother's apartment.
That's where prosecutors allege Garcia was watching the boy while the mother went to get the son -- who had cerebral palsy -- some medication Wednesday afternoon.
"Jennifer was very distraught, very, very distraught. And she was crying that, you know, 'That bastard, he killed my baby,'" one woman told Fox 29 News.
"She always had him with her. I mean, he was such a happy little thing,"
Caden's mother, Jennifer Bowen, was too upset to talk Friday morning, her sister said. But she did stop by a local diner, Dionysus Restaurant -- the same one she took her son to almost every day -- and told friends there what happened.
"The boyfriend said, 'Oh, he threw up all over the place, but now he's asleep. You may want to check on him because he doesn't look very well," one friend said, recounting what she was told.
As soon as Bowen returned home Wednesday afternoon and saw that Caden was unconscious and turning blue, she and Garcia then rushed her son to Cape Regional Medical Center, where doctors tried to revive him, Keeley reported.
State troopers said, however, the boy may have already been dead when he got to the hospital. An autopsy showed he died of internal bleeding and severe abdominal injuries, and his death was immediately ruled a homicide.http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/Wildwood_Damon_Garcia_Manslaughter_Charges_Two_Yea r_Old_04_24_09