A 47-year-old mother from Virginia, Wendi Del Cid Rodriguez, has pleaded guilty to serious charges after she was found chaining her two young sons to furniture in their apartment as a method to keep them from leaving the house unsupervised.
Rodriguez’s disturbing actions were uncovered when police responded to reports of child neglect, leading to a disturbing revelation about her treatment of her children.
Chaining Children to Furniture to Keep Them Indoors
On August 15, 2023, the Fairfax Police Department responded to a call about child neglect in an apartment complex located in the 6700 block of Tower Drive. When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly heard chains rattling inside the apartment.
Upon entering, they found two boys, ages 7 and 9, alone and chained to a post in the living room. The boys were confined in this manner regularly by their mother and her boyfriend, Franklin Viera Guevara, who had been living with them.
Rodriguez admitted to chaining up the boys as a way to “scare them” into not leaving the apartment while she and Guevara were at work. Both children had marks on their wrists and ankles consistent with being restrained, and the officers confirmed that the boys were confined in this way when the couple was not home.
Disturbing Evidence and Testimony
The abuse was uncovered when one of the boys borrowed a phone from a roommate in the apartment and sent a photo of the chains and handcuffs to his older sister. The sister then contacted authorities, prompting the investigation.
According to the apartment’s unnamed roommate, he regularly saw the children chained in the mornings when the parents were gone. He told police that he observed the boys chained to a table leg near where they slept, only being freed when Rodriguez or Guevara returned home in the late afternoon.
The abuse had been going on for some time, with the children being unable to move more than a few steps while bound. Both Rodriguez and Guevara confessed to the authorities that they routinely used this method of restraint to keep the boys confined to the apartment, ensuring they wouldn’t leave unsupervised.
Legal Consequences and Plea Deal
Rodriguez has formally pleaded guilty to one count of abduction and one count of assault and battery in exchange for the dismissal of child cruelty charges.
The case has drawn significant attention due to the shocking nature of the abuse. After pleading guilty, Rodriguez’s bond was revoked, and she was taken into custody to await sentencing in November.
Rodriguez’s boyfriend, Guevara, was also facing similar charges but was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February 2024 for being in the country unlawfully. Guevara was later deported, and he is no longer in the custody of Fairfax County.
Impact on the Children
Following the discovery of the abuse, both children were placed in the custody of their father, and the case continues to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect. The authorities have assured that they are working to ensure the children’s safety and well-being moving forward.
The case of Wendi Del Cid Rodriguez highlights a horrific instance of child abuse carried out in the name of discipline or control. The mother’s attempt to “scare” her children by chaining them to furniture has led to criminal charges and the removal of the children from her care.
As the legal process continues, the community is left to reflect on the impact of such actions on the lives of young, innocent children.
