The parents of the 4-year-old girl that died in June allegedly have a history of child abuse and neglect, according to court documents obtained by NBC Connecticut.
Rocky and Ashley Hernandez-DeJesus briefly appeared in court Tuesday after each posting $250,000 bonds in connection to the death of their daughter.
The New Britain couple faces a list of charges, including manslaughter and two counts of risk of injury to a child, all connected to the June 18 death of their 4-year-old daughter, Veronica.
The two faced the judge separately without representation but told the judge they will have separate lawyers to avoid a conflict of interest.
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Rocky and Ashley were also separate as they walked out of court. Ashley offered no comment while Rocky claimed innocence.
“All I can say right now is that there’s no proof,” he said.
Court paperwork, however, paints a picture of a history of abuse and conflicting stories.
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According to court documents, the 4-year-old, who Rocky says was their daughter Veronica, was first seen at Bristol Hospital, then examined at Connecticut Children’s, on June 16. She died two days later.
While the child was being treated for a critical head injury, Bristol Police say they were alerted to signs of previous abuse including bruises and ligature marks on the child’s wrists and ankles, as well as signs of restraint.
Both the accused have denied ever restraining her. Although, according to the paperwork, a former landlord says he once saw Veronica tied to a highchair.
Rocky and Ashley say the girl fell from playground equipment at Plainville’s Norton Park. Both parents told police she lost her balance and fell onto her face.
However, according to police interviews, some of Rocky's relatives say he has told them multiple stories, including that she fell downstairs. Police also interviewed people who were at the park that day and none say they witnessed anything unusual.
When Rocky was asked what happened outside court, he had little explanation.
“I cannot talk about that right now. I’ve been advised not to by my attorney,” he said.
Court paperwork also revealed that there have been 13 Department of Children and Families (DCF) reports regarding this family since 2012. That includes four substantiated claims of abuse or neglect.
In a statement obtained from DCF today, they say those reports were for Veronica’s siblings and they never received a report specifically about her.
DCF says in Feb. 2017, the children in the home at the time were assessed to be unsafe and placed with a relative, as was Veronica who was born a few months later.
The department's last contact with the family was in Oct. 2019 at which time the case was closed.
DCF says they became involved with the family again in June 2022 after learning of the child's death. They say they then became involved in a joint investigation with the Bristol Police Department to ensure the safety of the child's siblings who remained in the home and were born after the removal of the other children.
The couple is expected to appear in court on Jan. 12.
