Stepfather Convicted In 7 Year Olds Death

The stepfather of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown was convicted of first-degree manslaughter for his role in her fatal 2006 beating. That beating was inflicted as punishment for stealing a snack from the refrigerator and jamming his computer printer with toys. The jury, however, acquitted the stepfather, Cesar Rodriguez, of second-degree murder.

The verdict, reached on the fourth day of deliberations at State Supreme Court after eight weeks of testimony, brought an end to the first trial in one of the most horrific child deaths in recent New York history, one that caused an overhaul of the city’s child welfare system and a spurt in child-abuse reports and foster care placement. Nixzmary’s mother, Nixzaliz Santiago, is to be tried later on a murder charge.