Jay Leonard Rodriguez was convicted of murdering Jennifer Barreras and her daughter. (Mug shot: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
A Florida man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for beating his 6-months-pregnant girlfriend so badly that he reportedly left shoe tread marks on her skull.
Jay Leonard Rodriguez, 49, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder on Wednesday in a Hillsborough County courtroom for the beating death of Jennifer Barreras, 25, and her baby who died as a result of the attack. On Thursday he was given two life sentences.
Berreras and her baby, a girl, died minutes after a premature birth, documents indicate.
The victim’s friend, Jessica Gonzalez, testified to seeing Rodriguez pin Barreras against a bedroom wall and punch her repeatedly, according to Tampa Fox affiliate WTVT.
“He was picking her up and slamming her to the ground at least four or five times,” Gonzalez testified. “Stomping on her and stomping on her stomach over and over again.”
The outlet described Barreras as petite.
The affidavit said that a female witness, which they do not name, called 911 at 3:25 a.m.
“When officers arrived on scene they discovered the female victim to be unresponsive, severely bruised and swollen around her head and officers began life saving measures,” they wrote. “The victim was noticeably pregnant (approximately six months along).”
The witness told police about Rodriguez beating the victim even after the victim “was cowering down to her knees,” the affidavit stated.
This witness told him to stop and in response, he threatened her with physical violence too if she got involved.
“The witness continued to watch as the defendant threw the victim down on the tile floor and kicked her several times in the face and stomach area,” the affidavit said. “She also observed the defendant stomp on the victim’s face and stomach area.”
The victim fell unconscious, lying motionless and no longer screaming for help. Even then, the defendant kept kicking and punching her.
The witness called 911 and the defendant left.
“The witness observed the victim unconscious and having difficulty breathing and attempted CPR at the instruction of the 911 dispatcher,” documents said.
According to authorities, the baby was born with a heartbeat at 4:15 a.m., but Barreras was declared dead at 4:25 a.m., and the baby lived only a few minutes more, being declared dead at 4:35 a.m.
Hours before testifying, Rodriguez sought a plea deal with prosecutors, but they rejected him, according to WTVT. When he finally took the stand, he painted Barreras as the aggressor, and that if he ever touched her, it was to stop her from striking him. He denied ever hitting her, let alone killing her.
“When I left that night she was alive, and she was cussing at me like she always do when you have little respect,” he said.
But authorities reportedly said that shoe tread marks on Barreras’ skull matched the shoes Rodriguez wore that night.
It took jurors less than an hour to return a verdict for two counts of murder in the second degree, according to the outlet.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
