An adorable boy was discovered dead in his car seat after being left in the care of a woman who ran an unlicensed day care in North Carolina.
Mercedes Rodriguez, 59, was arrested on April 30 after a one-year-old boy, Jacob Machado Carlos, was discovered blue and unresponsive in her custody.
Authorities discovered Jacob in a car seat with straps around his upper half.
Jacob’s parents dropped him off with Rodriguez around 5:30 a.m. Around 9 a.m., another parent noticed the child’s need for medical attention and called 911.
Rodriguez was arrested for operating a child care facility without a license, and he will face additional homicide charges.
The child’s heartbroken parents had to bury their beloved child before attending Rodriguez’s court hearing.
‘My son Jacob was extremely friendly. Jacob’s mother recalled in a tearful interview with local Fox affiliate WGHP that he enjoyed running outside and playing with his sibling.
His father added that he was “full of love and a very happy kid.”
He got it from our family. Always approached everyone with open arms. ‘He did that to the rest of the world,’ his father stated.
Jacob’s parents told WGHP that their other children are struggling to deal with their younger brother’s death.
Another family member told the outlet, ‘We took him to her (Rodriguez). We thought she was caring for him like a mother, but we didn’t expect her to abandon him… I’ve been in the car seat all morning.
The Guilford County District Attorney’s Office stated that Rodriguez was responsible for 13 children at the unlicensed day care center. Another child in her care was hospitalized on the same day Jacob died.
According to WGHP, Rodriguez was investigated in 2019 for allegedly assaulting a child.
Jacob’s parents urged the judge to increase Rodriguez’s bail, fearing she would flee because she was under deportation order.
However, the judge refused to raise Rodriguez’s $10,000 bail until official homicide charges were filed.
Jacob’s family attended the hearing and expressed disappointment with the results to WGHP.
DailyMail.com contacted Guilford County Police for an update on the case, but did not receive an immediate response.
