Accused Stepdad Blames Tortured New York Girl for Her Death

Updated 10:47 AM ET January 20, 2006

The stepfather accused of murder and torture in the death of 7-year-old Nixzmary Brown is blaming the victim for her fatal beating.

In an interview given to reporters from three New York newspapers the day after Nixzmary's funeral, Cesar Rodriguez -- charged with second-degree murder and first-degree sexual assault -- said that his stepdaughter's behavior forced him to give her beatings.

"I ask her why she had to put me through so much trouble," Santiago said, according to the interview published in The Daily News. "And I tell her I'm sorry and that I love her."

'I Don't Want to Say She Deserved It, but ...'

Rodriguez and Nixzaliz Santiago, Nixzmary's mother, are being held without bail as they face second-degree murder charges. Prosecutors say Nixzmary was beaten, starved, tied to a chair, and tortured before she died in her Brooklyn apartment on Jan. 11. Her death has renewed concerns about the Administration for Children's Services' ability to protect abused children.

Rodriguez and Santiago also face charges of manslaughter, unlawful imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, they could face 25 years to life in prison.

In their indictment, prosecutors said Rodriguez abused the girl for months as her mother did nothing. The alleged abuse culminated, prosecutors said, when Rodriguez smashed Nixzmary's head against a bathtub.

"I don't want to say she deserved it, but ... ," he said.

LINK TO COMPLETE ARTICLE