WEST CHESTER, PA — A Chester County jury this week found 37-year-old Adrian Rodriguez of Kennett Square guilty of endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault for a domestic violence incident involving two members of his family in 2021, announced Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Kennett Square Police responded to the incident at Landhope Farms on S. Union Street, Kennett Square, on November 24, 2021, where one of the victims reported being slammed into a car door hard enough that it left a substantial dent. The victims told police that the defendant got angry while on a trip to Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ, and drove them home.
The victim reported that as she was being assaulted, the 11-year-old victim ran to Landhope Farms to get help. After locating the child victim, the victims stood outside to determine where to go and what to do next. Once the defendant found the victims, he grabbed the child victim by his hoodie and tried to drag him away. The victim told police that she unsuccessfully tried to free the child victim.
Investigators learned that the defendant finally released the child victim when two eyewitnesses intervened, saying they had called the police.
“The testimonies of the two eyewitnesses – complete strangers who, in fact, lived in other states – were critical to the outcome of this case because too often domestic violence happens away from the eyes of others,” said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. “Their courage in intervening to help these victims, reporting what they saw, and testifying in court is an act of civic responsibility that I highly commend. We hope this verdict will help the victims move forward, and we are grateful to the jury for giving them justice.”
Kennett Square Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Rodriguez. ADAs Sam Bonsall and Madeline Troutman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The defendant will be sentenced at a later date.
Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313 if you suspect a child is being abused.
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