Heroin Detox Now

Demitri Ion Robledo was the son of Yvette and David Robledo. He was born on August 6, 1999 addicted to methadone so he was already facing many challenges.

I’m not sure how old he was in this most adorable picture but I do know how old he was when he was murdered on October 22, 2000 by a cold-hearted drug dealer that probably didn’t think he was worth anymore than a eight ball. He was 14-months-old when his life was stolen.

It’s sad really if you take a moment to think about it, this precious, innocent, pure baby boy is only remembered for how he died to most people because he never got the chance to live.

Demetri’s mother was arrested on August 7th for cocaine. His father David Robledo reluctantly dropped him off at Yvette’s friends house to be cared for while she was in jail. When David dropped his son off he also left him there with a new set of clothes, food and diapers.

There was never any mention of David doing drugs, selling drugs or knowing about Patrick and Teresa’s drug habits.

Demitri was in the care of Teresa Rodriguez, 20, who was 8 months pregnant and her drug-dealer/addict boyfriend, Patrick Santillano, 33. They also had a 2 year old that they shared together.

It took less than 3 months to steal Demitri’s precious life.

Several weeks after Yvette was released from jail she visited the garage apartment where her son was. She picked up drugs but left her child behind.

Later when Yvette and David Robledo went to pick up their son, Patrick told them he left with Teresa and would be back in a little while. Yvette and David as well as Demitri’s grandmother showed up 4 more times looking to pick the child up but they were then told that Teresa went to Lompoc to visit family with the baby. David bought a used car for the sole purpose of driving to Lompoc to get his son but he couldn’t find him.

On Oct. 22, Patrick told Teresa to take the boy out for some air. When she noticed he wasn’t breathing right, she escaped and took him to St. John’s Regional Medical Center ER. Later that night she went to another hospital to give birth.

Doctors found ulcerated lesions on his mouth, ears, wrists and ankles, as well as bruises and abrasions from head to toe.

She was arrested two days later. Teresa Rodriguez is charged with voluntary manslaughter and mayhem and is awaiting sentencing. As part of her plea, she agreed to testify against Patrick, the father of her two children and live-in boyfriend.

Patrick disappeared for several weeks but finally showed up at the police station in November 2000 and told officers that he knew nothing and did nothing. He was arrested also and charged with murder, torture, child abuse causing death, and aggravated mayhem.

The trial didn’t begin until 2003 and Teresa agreed to be the key witness in Patrick’s case in order to save herself.

Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Dee Corona said Patrick hid the baby because he was suffering from serious injuries and he was trying to avoid going to jail.

Atty. Dee Corona told jurors Patrick hit Demitri numerous times and tied up his hands and feet to keep him from touching his cuts and bruises. Demitri was starved, tortured, had a sock pushed into his mouth and then tied a cloth around his head to secure it.

Ventura County Assistant Medical Examiner Janice Frank testified that there was no fat on his bony frame and no food in his stomach or intestines. He weighed only 14 pounds.

His autopsy report also showed that he suffered a massive blow to his little head at least 3 days prior to his death and had a brain hemorrhage.

Toxicology reports suggest that the boy had ingested morphine days before his death.

She testified that the head injury, which “could have been caused by a blow or a fall, was not fatal. But in combination with neglect and other injuries inflicted over a period of time,” she said, “it likely resulted in the child’s death.”

“I think it was probably the last straw, so to speak,” she said. Frank officially ruled the cause of death to be battered child syndrome.

Patrick dislocated Demitri’s elbow 3 weeks prior to his death and never sought treatment for it. Teresa said violence would begin for the most ridiculous reasons such as the baby crying. Gagging was to the keep the baby from crying so he could concentrate on shooting up.

Teresa testified to seeing Patrick lift the baby by his ankles and smack him on the legs while the baby was hanging upside down. He would use a belt to spank Demetri, or slap the child in the face, often while taunting the toddler with names like “sissy” or “crybaby.”

Teresa also told jurors that she was born to drug addicts, molested as a child and started doing drugs at 13. She also testified that she was beaten by her boyfriends and forced into prostitution. She was a full-blown heroin addict at 17 when she began seeing Patrick.

Patrick was nice to her in the beginning and tried to get her off drugs and got her to go back to school. Teresa said she tried to accept his advice but kept failing.

Under questioning by Deputy Dist. Atty. Cheryl Temple, Rodriguez painted Patrick Santillano as an increasingly controlling and abusive drug dealer.

Teresa said he hit her at times, threatened to break her legs with a baseball bat, and threatened to dangle her by the ankles off Mugu Rock.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” she said. “He’s just really ugly when he’s mad.”

She also testified that she wanted to be baby Demitri’s godmother because she wanted to help his mom take care of him and she loved him.

Patrick’s Defense attorney Steven Powell told the court during opening statements that evidence will show that his client is innocent and that Teresa was the one that murdered Demitri. Mr. Powell also said “The defendant is being scapegoated.”

Patrick’s father Patricio Santillano who is 84 testified that his son came to Mexico in October and that his memory is not good but his son mentioned something about leaving his girlfriend behind “because she was in a mess about a baby who died on her.” He also said his son never said that he was in trouble and “They’re trying to railroad him,” he said. “He didn’t do nothing.”

Oxnard Officer Mark Barnes testified that he was told that Demitri’s wounds on his ears and mouth, and ligature bruises to his wrists and ankles were not wounds at all, they were rashes and he had been scratching them.

Officer Barnes also testified that Demitri was already dead when he saw him and he had visibly dark bruises ringing his ankles and wrists. The flesh on his ears and nose had been partially torn away, and his baby clothes were stained with blood. “It was obvious to me this was some sort of torment crime.”

Teresa said Demitri had scabies and rubbed his nose raw by picking at a wound that occurred weeks earlier when he had fallen. Officer Barnes testified that when he asked Rodriguez why she did not take the boy to a doctor earlier, she told him “she didn’t have the paperwork.”

At some point during their conversation, Dr. H. Allen Hooper, the treating ER physician, came in and told Teresa Rodriguez the boy was dead, Barnes said. “She was upset,” he said. “She was screaming.”

In another interview at the Oxnard police station, Teresa again attributed the wounds to Demitri’s scabies. She never said Patrick abused him.

There was one point when Teresa was testifying against Patrick and he began crying and laid his head on the table.

“Feel bad now, huh?” Teresa sneered from the witness stand.

“You’re a monster,” Patrick lashed back.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge James Cloninger called a recess and told her not to direct questions to him anymore. Patrick apologized for his outburst. “But I’m only human,” he added. “I’ve never been in this situation before.”

Teresa could not explain the reason for the abuse, but told jurors that Patrick disapproved of boys being shown affection.

Patrick’s former girlfriend and an ex-sister-in-law both took the stand and said he was abusive to women and children especially if he did not get “his fix.”

Alice Renae Sigala, who had three children with Patrick, described their relationship as rocky and told of a fight when she threatened to leave and he threatened to kill her. He punched Alice, who was eight months pregnant, and locked her and her three children in a bedroom, she said.

Alice said Patrick was never abusive to their first two children, but he treated Frances, her daughter from another relationship, differently, she said. One time, Patrick pulled her hair after she tried to get his attention, Sigala said. Alice told him, ‘She’s just a baby; she’s trying to show you something she did at school’.

Patrick had 8 children in all.

“It’s shameful,” Patrick said. “It’s monstrous, and it’s embarrassing sitting here in this position being blamed for something like that,” he said when asked why he looked down when asked direct questions about Demitri’s abuse.

Since Demetri’s death, his parents Yvette and David Robledo, have each been arrested AGAIN on drug and theft charges, DA Corona said. They, too, are expected to testify against Patrick.

On the day that Ms. Frank, the medical examiner testified, Patrick chose not to appear in court. His reason was “he feared the photographs would make him sick”. He was talking about Demitri’s autopsy photos.

On March 18, 2003 Judge Cloninger sentenced Patrick Santillano to 34 years to life. He didn’t show any expressions of sadness for the neglect and abuse that he inflicted upon Demitri. Instead he lashed out at his attorney and yelled “I can’t feel sorry for something I didn’t do, because I wasn’t there,”

Patrick’s attorney Steve Powell asked Judge Cloninger to grant Patrick a new trial. The judge refused and said he’ll be eligible for parole at age 66, and hopes he will never be set free.

Juror Dixie Dick had to seek counseling and visits Demitri’s grave. She said she’s still haunted by autopsy photos of the boy’s starved, bruised and mutilated body. “He touched all of us,” she said.

The jurors were so saddened by Demitri’s short life that they pooled their money together and bought him a headstone so his plot would not remain unmarked. It reads “Our baby. Demitri Ion Robledo. Forever in God’s Caring Hands.”

When it came time for Teresa’s sentencing her mother pleaded with the court, “Please be lenient on my daughter,” said Christina Rodriguez, also a heroin user. “She has gone through so much trauma already, without being sent to prison.”

Attorney Willard P. Wiksell argued that Teresa should only get 3 years in prison because she was a battered woman, trapped by Patricks’s abuse and unable to escape. Once she could do something, she did.

He said, “She did everything she could to bring about a successful prosecution,” he said. “The result of that was justice in this county.”

Judge Ken Riley agreed that without Teresa’s help they would not have been able to successfully prosecute Patrick however a 3 year sentence was not nearly enough due to how severe the crime was.

On March 26, 2003 Teresa Rodriguez received a 6 year sentence and was fined 0. She also must undergo drug counseling in prison. “I wish some of the people here today would have been closer to Miss Rodriguez, so that this baby didn’t have to die,” Riley said.

Teresa had already served 2 1/2 years while the case progressed, therefore she could be out as soon as September 2005, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Cheryl Temple.

None of Demitri’s family members were present this time around.

“The jurors saw Teresa as the second victim in that household,” said DA Cheryl Temple, “But they also held her responsible because she should have stepped in.”

Anytime I write a story I always look up the offenders criminal history if it’s available, the mugshot and find out what prison they are in. I also sign up for a notification that emails me when there are any changes in status such as death or prison transfer. For some reason I was not able to locate any information on Patrick or Teresa. I’ll continue to look and if I find anything I’ll update the story.

Also, maybe I’m just being skeptical but I have a gut feeling that Teresa had a lot more to do with this than what she was found guilty of.

As horrible as it may sound, I sometimes think it’s better that these precious children don’t have to endure hell on earth, maybe it’s better that they leave this world so early.

 

 

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