GUILTY NY - Nixzmary Brown, 7, beaten to death in Brooklyn, 11 Jan 2006

[strach304]

I'm glad they posted the pics, I looked at them several times and I want them in everyone's face! There's enough blame to go around but like my post pages back states I still don't get why at least one person, just one couldn't have taken a more vigilante stance to save this child and the many more to come.
I think we can all agree that in some cases you just don't know until it's too late and we've seen over and over again where a report to cps isn't enough because it can be a slow process and they don't want to remove children if they don't have to. The school, LE all were possibilities for a neighbor or relative to ban with and make something be done so if nothing else I hope people will start to think twice about getting involved in protecting our children.

I don't advocate being a busy body or poking your nose where it doesn't belong at all but this case seems extreme in the sense that people knew and did nothing but then want to pretend to care after she's dead. What hypocrits! I hated those nosey busy body people in the neighborhood I grew up in as a kid but I see those dinosaurs now for what they were and they're extinct. We never got snatched by a stranger or beat black and blue by our parents for instance.

 

[mysteriew]

Nixzmary Brown's anguished grandmother will ask a court today for custody of her five remaining grandchildren.
They were removed from the Brooklyn "house of horrors" where the 7-year-old allegedly was beaten to death by her stepdad.

Maria Gonzalez, 53, will submit a petition to family court seeking to adopt the five surviving children of her daughter, Nixzaliz Santiago, 27, who along with her husband, Cesar Rodriguez, was charged with second-degree murder in the child's death.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60745.htm

Tears now, but where was family when she needed them?

The crowd, some of whom had been been waiting in St. Mary's Church for hours, suddenly grew hushed.
"The family," someone whispered.

All eyes in the lower East Side church were fixed on a group of mourners - perhaps 40 in all - who came through the front door, walked solemnly down the center aisle behind some ushers and filed into the pews at the front.

Near the front of the grieving group was Maria Gonzalez, the grandmother of Nixzmary Brown, the 7-year-old whose brutal death had crushed a city's heart.

For a moment, you were stunned by the sheer number of relatives.

Where had they all been during the months and years when this terrible outrage unfolded?

Where had they been when, according to police, this innocent child was repeatedly tortured and beaten by her stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, the man now charged with her murder?

Where had they been when the girl's mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, repeatedly failed to protect her own daughter, and when, police charge, she even permitted the abuse?

Enormous attention has been focused the past few days - and rightfully so - on what caseworkers and school officials could have done or should have done.

Already this tragedy has sparked yet another shakeup in thecity's child welfare bureaucracy and the suspension or disciplining of a half-dozen social workers.

And more still needs to be explained about the exact role of police detectives who initially responded to the case.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/384043p-325963c.html

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Yeah I hear welfare up in New York for 5 children is paying pretty good these days! If that old tired useless excuse for a grandmother gets her dirty hands on these other 5 children then I just freakin give up. :banghead: :furious:

Nixzmary Brown's anguished grandmother will ask a court today for custody of her five remaining grandchildren.
They were removed from the Brooklyn "house of horrors" where the 7-year-old allegedly was beaten to death by her stepdad.

Maria Gonzalez, 53, will submit a petition to family court seeking to adopt the five surviving children of her daughter, Nixzaliz Santiago, 27, who along with her husband, Cesar Rodriguez, was charged with second-degree murder in the child's death.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/60745.htm

Tears now, but where was family when she needed them?

The crowd, some of whom had been been waiting in St. Mary's Church for hours, suddenly grew hushed.
"The family," someone whispered.

All eyes in the lower East Side church were fixed on a group of mourners - perhaps 40 in all - who came through the front door, walked solemnly down the center aisle behind some ushers and filed into the pews at the front.

Near the front of the grieving group was Maria Gonzalez, the grandmother of Nixzmary Brown, the 7-year-old whose brutal death had crushed a city's heart.

For a moment, you were stunned by the sheer number of relatives.

Where had they all been during the months and years when this terrible outrage unfolded?

Where had they been when, according to police, this innocent child was repeatedly tortured and beaten by her stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, the man now charged with her murder?

Where had they been when the girl's mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, repeatedly failed to protect her own daughter, and when, police charge, she even permitted the abuse?

Enormous attention has been focused the past few days - and rightfully so - on what caseworkers and school officials could have done or should have done.

Already this tragedy has sparked yet another shakeup in thecity's child welfare bureaucracy and the suspension or disciplining of a half-dozen social workers.

And more still needs to be explained about the exact role of police detectives who initially responded to the case.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/384043p-325963c.html

 

[concernedperson]

This cannot be allowed to happen. The grandmother is at fault as well and the children will be put in a perilous situation. Those of you in New York let your voices be known.

 

[dnrslucky1]

I must agree! The Grandmother should not have custody of the children! She obviously has not ever paid attention to their welfare, so how could she now? I say, they need to be where they can feel safe and hopefully not repeat the same destructive life style!

 

[Alice253]

This is the same grandmother that Nixzmary begged to take her back home with her to Puerto Rico at Christmas??? But grandmother couldn't afford the plane ticket??

 

[Insomniac]

This cannot be allowed to happen. The grandmother is at fault as well and the children will be put in a perilous situation. Those of you in New York let your voices be known.

I doubt she'll get custody, I think NYC is going to be very careful what happens to those kids, and it's no secret she's a big freaking phony.

 

[Ang50]

I will agree, from what I see, most of the family is a bunch of hypocrites. However, thus far, to my knowledge, they have refrained from the two most galling things we sometimes see in this situation.

1. Family blames the government and officials, and doesn't look within their own family for blame.

2. Family sets up a "memorial fund" and then we later hear about how everyone got drunk, high and bought cars with the money.

The thing I never understand with mothers is how you could listen to your child crying from being beaten. When my daughter scrapes her knee, or stubs her toe and is really hurt, her crying creates such a strong physical response in me. (A different response then when she's crying from frustration, or for attention - even my body reacts differently.) So when you hear your child crying from pain or heartbreak or fear, how can you turn your back?

 

[KatherineQ]

I will agree, from what I see, most of the family is a bunch of hypocrites. However, thus far, to my knowledge, they have refrained from the two most galling things we sometimes see in this situation.

1. Family blames the government and officials, and doesn't look within their own family for blame.

2. Family sets up a "memorial fund" and then we later hear about how everyone got drunk, high and bought cars with the money.

The thing I never understand with mothers is how you could listen to your child crying from being beaten. When my daughter scrapes her knee, or stubs her toe and is really hurt, her crying creates such a strong physical response in me. (A different response then when she's crying from frustration, or for attention - even my body reacts differently.) So when you hear your child crying from pain or heartbreak or fear, how can you turn your back?

Ang - I've seen numerous articles where they violate your number one offense. Blaming caseworkers, cops, whathaveyou. The family of Nizaliz (sp) doesn't seem to blame themselves one iota, and vented rage at Cesar's 24 year old sister as if it was her fault this child is dead. This young woman is 24, seemed to be crying real tears, and attended both the wake and the funeral despite being hissed at by Nizaliz's family. Including the grandmother, who had seen Nixzmary over and over recently, and RAISED one of the parents. (wasn't just the hapless younger sister of a monster)

And for your last question, I have no idea how mothers can turn their backs. I've seen mothers bristle and become rude if someone slights their child, or if their child is fouled on the soccer field, or is hurt in any way by someone else. I can't imagine, I really can't IMAGINE, tuning out the screams of a child who is beaten and held under frigid water and is screaming for help, only to get up later and dress her in dry pj's and go to bed without helping her. That's a mystery no one understands. (Interestingly, no one seems as angry at this monster who beat her to death. Such is the way with stories like this - we are aghast at the mother for not stopping the monster, and the monster is largely forgotten. go figure)

 

[Linda7NJ]

I will agree, from what I see, most of the family is a bunch of hypocrites. However, thus far, to my knowledge, they have refrained from the two most galling things we sometimes see in this situation.

1. Family blames the government and officials, and doesn't look within their own family for blame.

2. Family sets up a "memorial fund" and then we later hear about how everyone got drunk, high and bought cars with the money.

The thing I never understand with mothers is how you could listen to your child crying from being beaten. When my daughter scrapes her knee, or stubs her toe and is really hurt, her crying creates such a strong physical response in me. (A different response then when she's crying from frustration, or for attention - even my body reacts differently.) So when you hear your child crying from pain or heartbreak or fear, how can you turn your back?

All I know is, I would DIE protecting mine ! He'd have to kill me to get to my kid

 

[Linda7NJ]

Ang - I've seen numerous articles where they violate your number one offense. Blaming caseworkers, cops, whathaveyou. The family of Nizaliz (sp) doesn't seem to blame themselves one iota, and vented rage at Cesar's 24 year old sister as if it was her fault this child is dead. This young woman is 24, seemed to be crying real tears, and attended both the wake and the funeral despite being hissed at by Nizaliz's family. Including the grandmother, who had seen Nixzmary over and over recently, and RAISED one of the parents. (wasn't just the hapless younger sister of a monster)

And for your last question, I have no idea how mothers can turn their backs. I've seen mothers bristle and become rude if someone slights their child, or if their child is fouled on the soccer field, or is hurt in any way by someone else. I can't imagine, I really can't IMAGINE, tuning out the screams of a child who is beaten and held under frigid water and is screaming for help, only to get up later and dress her in dry pj's and go to bed without helping her. That's a mystery no one understands. (Interestingly, no one seems as angry at this monster who beat her to death. Such is the way with stories like this - we are aghast at the mother for not stopping the monster, and the monster is largely forgotten. go figure)

Trust me, I haven't forgotten him. The sickening thing to me is these "mothers" always end up pulling less time than the monster. I feel they BOTH deserve EQUAL sentences. Which in this case would be the DP. Too bad that can't happen.

 

[KatherineQ]

Trust me, I haven't forgotten him. The sickening thing to me is these "mothers" always end up pulling less time than the monster. I feel they BOTH deserve EQUAL sentences. Which in this case would be the DP. Too bad that can't happen.

Linda, that's actually not right. Mothers get significantly higher prison sentences for cowering in the corner and not helping than the men who beat their babies to death get.

In Austin we had a horrific murder case, Christopher Wohlers, where the mother hid in her bedroom while her new husband beat her two year old to death. She got a huge sentence and he is, I believe, still free to roam the streets. The anger and public hatred she experienced was enormous - largely, people ignored him.

So then I read local articles after that that gave the stats for mothers who cower vs. men who murder, and the mothers always get the worse shake with the law. The public hates them, and ignores the men. Go figure.

 

[Ang50]

Even as I hesitate to defend those women, they are often longtime victims of abuse at the hands of their "parents", who then go on to pick partners who abuse them as well. I believe that it is very rare that the husband beats the kids but never beats the wife. And we do tend to blame the mothers so much, but often they are just sad, sad, sad, pathetic, sad.

I will agree, though, I just can't understand. I don't like for my husband to raise his voice at my daughter (although usually she blows it off - my 25 pound daughter is outweighed times 10 by her father, and she is NOT intimidated) but just the voice raising brings out a physical, momma bear response.

 

[GreenEyedGirl]

Here is a memorial website I found, for anyone interested:

http://marilynshideaway.com/inmemory.html

Such a sad, sad case this is.

 

[petra]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/19/ng.01.html

 

[michelle]

man i cant believe this mother did nothing to help :banghead:

 

[Usher737]

I am so sad and heartbroken for this poor little girl. No child should ever have to live in that kind of a home!! Those people who call themselves her parents are sick and disgusting and have no clue how to raise and love children. There are just so many people who failed her!! There were so many signs and if the proper agencies were slacking someone should have went higher up. She should have been removed from that home months ago. If I had grandkids and saw bruises on them, I would do whatever it takes to get them out. Even if I couldnt afford a plane ticket, go to the police, do something!!

I believe that by God taking her he did it to stop her pain. He came to her rescue and she is no longer suffering. She is at Peace but she should have had a happy childhood.

Hopefully, some good will come from this and these agencies will not fail the next child because unfortunately there are more out there that need help!

 

[mysteriew]

Monster stepdad Cesar Rodriguez blamed his helpless victim yesterday, saying 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown's impish behavior so enraged him he was forced to administer sadistic beatings.
In an outrageous jailhouse interview the day after she was buried, Rodriguez revealed the demented conversation he has with Nixzmary's spirit while he lays awake in his cell at night.

"I ask her why she had to put me through so much trouble," he told reporters, wringing the same hands he used to pummel the child and tie her to a chair in a locked room.

"And I tell her I'm sorry and that I love her."

Wearing a gray jumpsuit and speaking in a calm voice, Rodriguez denied molesting his stepdaughter and refused to say what he did to her the night she died of a blow to the head.

But in excruciating detail, he recounted - and pathetically tried to justify - the many beatings she suffered in the past four years.

He made little apology for the brutal punishment, instead venting his frustration that the second-grader didn't learn from her mistakes.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/story/384276p-326175c.html

Caution, this one is pretty graphic. What I have posted is bad. The article is worse. Though the last paragraph is pretty good, LOL.

EVIL DAD'S ALIBI

Stepfather from hell Cesar Rodriguez turned into a sniveling crybaby yesterday as he said he killed Nixzmary Brown by accident — and that she brought it on herself.
While insisting in a jailhouse interview that he has "a lot of guilt," the heartless Rodriguez insisted he's a good father and, amazingly, said the 7-year-old drove him to kill her.

She pushed him to the boiling point with her misbehavior, he said. He claimed her bad deeds included beating her five brothers and sisters in the middle of the night, cutting her sister's hair, and burning her 6-month-old brother with a barbecue lighter.

Things got so bad, he said, that he had to lock her in a room and tie her to a chair, forcing her to sleep standing up.

To make it easier, he said, he put a blanket around the little girl's shoulders and placed a pillow on a table nearby so she could put her head there while sleeping.

He admitted he tied her ankles so tightly, there were ligature marks on her. He apologized to her for doing that.

Asked how he feels sitting in his cell at night, Rodriguez began to snivel and cry.
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/59352.htm

 

[mysteriew]

The leader of the state Assembly Thursday announced an investigation into the city and state child welfare systems, even as two Queens legislators called for toughening the penalty against a parent or guardian convicted of killing a child.

On the day after the emotional funeral of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown in Manhattan, Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said two Assembly committees -- the Children and Families Committee and the Oversight, Analysis and Investigation Committee -- will hold hearings Feb. 9 in Manhattan. Other hearings will take place in Buffalo and Syracuse, he said.

Only a few hours earlier, Assemb. Nettie Mayersohn (D-Flushing) and state Sen. Serphin Maltese (R-Glendale) joined forces to push for creation of a new A-1 felony: aggravated murder of a child under the age of 18.

That classification could make the killing of a child, which now carries a prison term of 25 years to life, punishable by death -- if capital punishment ever were restored in New York State, Maltese told Newsday. Recent rulings by the state Court of Appeals have stopped the use of capital punishment in New York.

Mayersohn, at a news conference with Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes and Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, said of the legislation she is sponsoring, "It would be easy and popular to call this 'Nixzmary's law.' Unfortunately, it could be named after any number of children who have suffered the same fate."
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local...851.story?coll=nyc-homepage-breakingheadlines

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Linda thank you thank you thank you thank you! Thats exactly how I feel. He would of had to kill me first because there is nothing besides death that could of stopped me from protecting her. I also just scrolled down and read his jailhouse interview and its just totally obvious he just hated her. For some unknown reason he had nothing but hate for that little girl. He don't even feel bad he says '' she didnt deserve to die BUT...'' that just tells me he don't get the reality of what he did he don't care he hated her. And does anyone know what the mother looks like? I only seen his picture and he looks like a little scrawny dude my 145 pounds could of taken him on anyday..ughhh

All I know is, I would DIE protecting mine ! He'd have to kill me to get to my kid