SAN ANTONIO — A Texas woman who pleaded guilty to allowing three pit bulls to fatally maul a 1-year-old boy in her care was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Monday.
Heather Rodriquez, 37, of San Antonio, was sentenced on one felony count of abandoning or endangering a child, KENS reported. She agreed to a plea deal on March 26, according to KSAT.
According to Bexar County court records, Rodriquez originally faced two charges: Endangering an injured child in imminent danger, a second-degree felony; and child endangerment, a state jail felony.
"IT'S RUINED ME" | A San Antonio woman has been sentenced after three aggressive pit bulls broke through a door and fatally attacked 1-year-old Jiryiah Johnson: https://t.co/ZaNzQsPp7e pic.twitter.com/YBCJ61gsnN
— KENS 5 (@KENS5) June 2, 2026
The victim, Jiryiah Johnson, was attacked on Oct. 7, 2024, at Rodriquez’s residence in San Antonio, KENS reported. According to authorities, Rodriquez had been caring for the child when she left the boy with her 13-year-old daughter and left the home.
The child and teen were in another room, while Rodriquez’s three pit bulls were elsewhere in the residence, according to the television station.
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According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, the three “aggressive” pit bulls forced their way into the room and attacked the toddler and the teen, KSAT reported.
The teen attempted to protect the boy but eventually lost the “tug of war,” deputies said.
The boy died the next day, KSAT reported. The teen was injured.
Several witnesses took the stand Monday before Rodriquez’s sentence was handed down, including the child’s parents, Julian Johnson and Erika Castro.
“It’s ruined me,” Julian Johnson told the court, according to KENS. “This pain I have is torturous.
“This all could have been avoided with a 30-second phone call because we (Johnson and Castro) would have left work without hesitation. God forgives everybody, but I can’t.”
Rodriquez appeared to become emotional as the boys’ parents gave their impact statements, KSAT reported.
Rodriquez will receive credit for the 601 days she has already spent in custody, according to Bexar County online court records.
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