BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A woman accused of allowing three pit bulls to attack and kill a 1-year-old boy in 2024 officially learned her sentence in court Monday.
Judge Joel Perez, who presides over Bexar County’s 437th Criminal District Court, sentenced Heather Rodriquez, 37, to 14 years in prison.
She initially took a plea deal on March 26. According to Bexar County court records, Rodriquez faced two charges:
- Endangering an injured child (1-year-old Jiryiah Johnson) in imminent danger, a second-degree felony
- Child endangerment, a state jail felony
A prison sentence for a second-degree felony tends to range between two and 20 years behind bars.
A source previously told KSAT terms of Rodriquez’s plea deal state that she could receive a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Several witnesses took the stand Monday before Perez announced Rodriquez’s sentence, including the child’s parents, Julian Johnson and Erika Castro.
Jiryiah’s father said his son made his life “better” regardless of how his day went. Johnson said Monday his son’s death has “ruined” him.
“This pain I have is something that’s tortuous,” Johnson said after he was called to the stand. “It’s a void that’s inside of me that keeps swallowing every bit of joy in life.”
One of the child’s cousins said Jiryiah’s death not only affects their family but the “dog owners,” as well.
“Dogs are not born aggressive,” the relative said. “It doesn’t matter what breed and what size. That’s something that they were taught.”
Perez reflected on some of the evidence he reviewed in the case before he made his ruling. The evidence included Rodriquez fighting with law enforcement when they told her they were taking custody of her three dogs.
“That is very, to me, very telling about her true character,” Perez told the court. “For her to be concerned about the dogs, I find just very, very, very aggravating.”
After Perez’s sentencing, Jiriyah’s parents were among the family members who gave victim impact statements.
Rodriquez appeared to become emotional as they spoke.
“This all could have been avoided with a 30-second phone call because we (Johnson and Castro) would have left work without hesitation,” Johnson said. “God forgives everybody, but I can’t.”
Background
According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Rodriquez was tasked with babysitting Jiryiah Johnson, 1, on Oct. 7, 2024 at a home in the 9700 block of Spruce Ridge Drive in northeast Bexar County.
However, authorities said she decided to sequester Johnson in a room and left her 13-year-old daughter in charge of babysitting before Rodriquez left the home.
The teenager tried to protect Johnson, but authorities said it was a “tug of war” between her and the three dogs. Sheriff’s deputies said the dogs forced their way into the room. Johnson was pronounced dead on Oct. 8, 2024.
Ten days after the attack, a judge ordered the three dogs to be euthanized.
In May 2025, Johnson’s parents filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit against Rodriquez and Blackstone Inc., the rental company that owns and manages the home on Spruce Ridge Drive.
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