A Carson City man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of felony child abuse, according to the Carson City Sheriff's Office. Michael Isaiah Rodriguez, 21, is being held on $20,000 bond.
According to the arrest report, Carson City Sheriff's Office deputies responded at 3:14 p.m. to the 1400 block of Siskiyou Drive for a report of child abuse. The minor child at the location had fresh bruising on the left side of his face, left eye, chest, back and neck. The mother of the child told officers that she believed her boyfriend, Rodriguez, had caused the injuries to her son.
The woman told officers that she woke up to her son screaming and heard Rodriguez ask him "Do you want to get choked out?" and "Do you want to die?" from behind a locked bathroom door, the arrest report states.
Later Sunday night at approximately 8:39 p.m. officers responded to the 700 block of Hot Springs Road. Rodriguez had called the sheriff's office requesting that he speak with an officer about the incident. He told the officer that he had put the child to bed early because he had friends over and they were going to smoke marijuana, the arrest report states.
"Michael told me that he heard a 'thud' come from the child's room and that he went there to see what had happened. Michael told me that the child had wet his pants and that he tried to get the child changed into dry clothes and change the bedding," the arrest report states.
"Michael told me that while trying to get the child's clothes changed, the child tried to get back into the bed and started to fight with him. Michael told me that he slapped the child twice in the face," the arrest report states.
"Michael told me that he then picked up the child to take him to the bathroom to get him changed. Michael told me the child continued to struggle and slid out of his arms. Michael told me that he tried to catch the child and in doing so grabbed him by the throat and arms," the arrest report states.
"Michael told me that he then took him into the bathroom and the child continued to struggle with him. Michael told me that he again slapped the child and told him to 'chill out.'"
Rodriguez was arrested at 9:42 p.m. on suspicion of felony child abuse. Bail $20,000.
