An Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office has declined to file charges of child neglect against the family of J.J. Rodriguez, the toddler mauled by their neighbors' dogs in the city of Spencer.
According to the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office, J.J. was reportedly playing with his sisters in their front yard when he walked into the unfenced backyard of their neighbor's home. The Sheriff's Office added that the neighbor opened the door, and the Pitbulls escaped.
Jose Rodriguez, J.J.'s father, disputed those claims, telling KFOR in a message that he watched his son being dragged off their lawn with his own two eyes. Rodriguez is adamant that his neighbor's dogs dragged J.J. into their property.
J.J. Rodriguez suffers significant injuries after dog mauling
J.J.'s parents claimed more than one dog attacked their son, a mauling which left the young boy in critical condition. The violent attack left J.J. with significant injuries, including his eyes being dislocated, his jaws broken into several different places, and his nose bitten off.
Jose still cannot forget the hardships his son faced because of his neighbor's dogs, saying, "I'm the one that went out there and fought the dogs off of them. I'm trying to protect him and just the feeling of, you know, lifting my son's body off the ground and then trying to keep him alive. I have nightmares all the time."
With J.J. fighting for his life in the hospital, the family got another unexpected problem when the sheriff's office launched an investigation regarding claims they left the young boy unattended and could face child neglect charges.
After hearing Sheriff Tommie Johnson's announcement that they could face charges, J.J. Rodriguez's family fired back through their attorney. Their lawyer told KOCO that J.J.'s recovery is where their focus needs to be right now.
Fortunately for the Rodriguez family, Oklahoma County DA David Prater decided not to file any charges against J.J.'s mom and dad. Jose still regrets the whole incident, saying he wished he could have gone out there a little quicker to save his son.
J.J., now known as the indestructible baby
The concerned father said that it was literally just seconds, but all that damage was done in those seconds and that his son is never going to know what normal is as a result. J.J. is now affectionately called the indestructible baby for how he survived the dog mauling.
Jose said J.J. is proving that he is more than resilient. Cassandra Rodriguez echoed that sentiment, saying, "I taught him how to crawl and walk before, I could do it again. That's just what I'll do. He's my strength."
There is good news regarding J.J.'s condition, with the latest medical update stating that he had his stitches removed from his face and could now see out of one of his eyes. A GoFundMe page has been set up for J.J. to help the Rodriguez family with their medical bills.
