Father, 4 Kids Found Dead In Md. Home

Police Search For Missing Mother, Who Hasn't Been At Work For More Than A Week

(AP)  A man and his four young children were found dead Monday in a townhouse in Frederick, Maryland, about 50 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

Police say Pedro Rodriguez, 28, was found hanging by a nylon rope from a second-floor bannister. Lt. Thomas Chase says the children - girls ages 9, 4 and 1, and a 3-year-old boy - were found in bed under the covers.

Police were looking for the mother, Daysi M. Benitez, 25, who neighbors said also lived at the home.

Chase said Benitez had not shown up for work at a local restaurant for a week and a half. "The mom's being sought so we can verify her welfare and find out what she can tell us," Chase said.

Chase said police do not have any suspects in the deaths of the children. When asked if they believe the father was suspected, he said that was a theory they were pursuing.

The bodies were discovered after a Hillcrest Elementary School community liaison concerned about some of the children called police, authorities said. Officers entered through an unlocked ground-floor window Monday afternoon and found the bodies in different rooms of the three-bedroom home.

Jose Lopez, 34, said he rented a room there for two months a year and a half ago. When he lived with them, the couple seemed happy, he said.

Real estate records show Rodriguez and Benitez bought the home in August 2005 for $195,900.

The family had emigrated from El Salvador to the United States, police said.

Autopsies on the father and the children were to be performed Tuesday in Baltimore.

Police had been called there three or four times in the past six months, neighbor Nathaniel Harris said.

"Everyone in the neighborhood is shocked," Harris said. "This is a nice area."

Another neighbor, Rebecca Reckley, said the father worked at the Toys R Us warehouse in Frederick and the mother worked at Outback Steakhouse. The mother worked nights and the father worked days, she said.

"He just seemed like an awfully nice man," she said. "He just seemed to really care about his children, so you can't fathom something like this would happen."

Managers at Outback and Toys R Us had no comment.

[peaceforusa]

How sad. My heart goes out to this family and I pray the mother is unharmed.

[mcwilljg]

For goodness sake. The primary suspect is the mother. This isn't rocket science - she murdered the chidren, as more and more mothers are apt to do these days; the father hanged himself in abject dispair. To immediately assume that the father did this horrible crime is simple minded and unfair to this father, who according to the neighbors was a devoted father. None of the neighbors said that the mother was devoted to the children.

[oleander8]

"- she murdered the chidren, as more and more mothers are apt to do these days; the father hanged himself in abject dispair." [Posted by mcwilljg]

Would you please post the web address of your psychic? Thanks.

[rafterman1]

"{For goodness sake. The primary suspect is the mother. This isn't rocket science - she murdered the chidren, as more and more mothers are apt to do these days; the father hanged himself in abject dispair."

The act of hanging yourself is an event that takes thought and planning while "abject despair" type deaths are more on the spur of the moment. Abject despair deaths are not usually by hanging.

More likely, the father killed the mother offsite, returned home, finished the children, then did himself. But who knows for sure at this point.

[asor1-2009]

"Police had been called there three or four times in the past six months, neighbor Nathaniel Harris said."

How many times have the police been called to your homes in the 'past six months'? A happy family, oh right!

[proudmom27]

My paryers goes out to this family.

[proudmom27]

My paryers goes out to this family.

[anasuarez68]

I really hope the mother is alive. But as a matter of fact this looks more like a homicide/suicide situation (father under a nervous breakdown kills family and committ suicide afterwards). Another possibility maybe that the whole family fell under the hands of merciless people trying to get the parents pay for some pending issues. Anyway, I pray for them all; the kids were so small... this is a very sad case.

[puzzler125]

Good grief, it's like a game here where readers try to guess "who done it." I agree with the fact that having the police there several times in the past several months is NOT "normal" though.

[zippiez]

Sounds like drug traffic is involved somehow.

[sjw1253]

superchez1 ...
I don't like to get personal with my postings ... but what makes you "super"???

You must have a pretty bad background to believe that everything is about cheating women...

I am sure if you performed some half-way reliable statistical information - the number of cheating men would outweigh the number of cheating women at least ten-fold.

You need to get a reality check...

[nolalou]

According to a UPI report on this story, police said they have reasons to belive the mother is not a suspect, but they fear for her safty. Obviously, theres more to this story than the police are able to say right now. They also plan to do autopsies on the chidren to determine the cause of death.

[sjw1253]

I think that anyone who chooses to ***-u-me the reason for these killings would benefit by learning that you may have a whole host of potential reasons - but that you need to learn much more detail than is provided by this article.

The only potential piece of valuable information provided by this article is that the police were called to the home 3 or 4 times in the past six months...

Now... take from that what you may... but to automatically decide that it is "drug" or "infidelity" reasoning ... is just plain ignorant...

In particular to superchez1... remember Scott & Lacey Peterson... It was not the woman who was cheating ... it was him!!!

[sjw1253]

I hope you realize the ***-u-me from my previous post spells out assume... duh... why did I not think that the editing software would *** the three first letters of that post???

[bacardistuff]

My "paryers" go out to CBS news to get a *** spellcheck. Now that I think about it.. my "paryers" go out to this country's school system.

[terrapin78]

"paryers" are no less effective than prayers.

[mom36330]

yeah send your prayers out alright...where was your god when someone was killing those kids?

[processor2]

"5 Dead in Maryland"

Maybe Queen Nancy Pelosi and the democrats will pass a non-binding resolution urging Bush to get out of Maryland.

...

[olebd]

This is how justice is often carried out in El Salvador. The murderer is either a family member/relative or from that area too.

[linfinster]

New house, four kids and 2 jobs that can't pay too much. Wonder how that plays in all of this.
Those poor children. What they must have gone thru.

And don't blame God. He knows everything that goes on and there will come a time when all these disgusting things will be abolished. While it is very appearent to the intelligent that mankind is already doomed, the stupid continue on without disraction living thier lives, oblivious.

[cmp271]

they must have come here with alot of money to afford that home....where was the money realling coming from??? toys ar us, not likely, Outback not likely.....

Let's find out the truth about this.

[ajaxrose1]

This is so sad. I'm sorry for all of them. MOM36330: You really have a problem. If you don't believe in God, that's your choice, but don't belittle someone else for offering up prayers for others. It's bad manners.

[kpbkpb]

Mom36330 God loves you and he forgives you.

[sweetgal_deb]

I agree, it's difficult to imagine a family of 6 living in a #200,000 home in a nice area making ends meet solely on the salaries from ToysRus & tips of an OutBack waitress. Maybe this was a murder scene & the fathers hanging was staged? I wonder what has become of the mother?

Regardless of what some postes may say, in cases like this, I need to pray that God will guide the officers as they untangle all this mess & assist them as they track clues & hopefully lead them to the mother.

It breaks my heart to think what those little ones went thru. What has taken place in the United States over the past 50 years? Crimes against children, murder in general seems so common place now. Is it the drugs? The folks crossing borders illegally & bringing gangs here? Folks living together having kids without marriage. Things have really changedsince the 50's & say what you may, its not been changes for the better!

[mnelsonix]

Neighbors always say, "He was such a nice man." Or, "They always seemed so happy." I smile, wave and say "Hi, How are ya" to my neighbors too. Makes me wonder...how many people in my court are going to, or have, buried someone in the back yard? Creepy thought.

[zootallures2]

Most crime is commited amoung the poor and the wealthy.

Believe me when I say: "Poor people are just rich people with no money!"

A normal person knows how to depend on themselves!

[ecuadoriana]

Just wanted to toss out there that just because police have been called to a home, doesn't neccesariy mean domestic violence or a real problem.

In my neighbourhood, we've got a few of those "Nosey Parker" types. The police showed up one night because our next door neighbour called to say our truck was blocking his driveway. When the cops arrived the truth came out: Our car was parked in our own driveway, but his complaint was that it was blocking his "view". (He told the cops that he thought that if we wanted such a big car -a sedan- that we should park in it the garage so he wouldn't have to look at it). Another time the police were called about our "wild drunken party" which, as the cops discovered upon arrival, was a saturday afternoon cookout/baby shower with 8 friends, soft drinks & toddlers splashing in a wading pool that Mr. Nosey wasn't invited to (surprise). Another time the cops came because I was taking pictures of storm damage to our fence in the side yard- neighbour reported that I was spying on him & "acting like papparazzi".

The point here is that, it becomes public record that the police are called to a home. In our case, it's because of some nut case neighbours. But, if something weird ever did happen (like I finally crack & strangle the neighbours), the news report would be that "the police were called to the house at least once a month for the past 2 years..."

[wiccantexan]

Mom36330, God has nothing to do with those kids' killings. Regardless of how you view God, or not, humans have free will. Your conscious decision to belittle people who offer prayers in a situation that is inconceivable to the normal person tells me that your focus is not on compassion, but in feeling superior to others.

[pghlady3]

thank you ecuadoriana, you are right, we have one of those neighbors also, every time there is something going on on our street, the cops are called.
As for the house and the jobs, all you need is spotless credit, I just bought a house, two weeks before I was hired at my present job, or be from south america, and you will get any loan for anything, remember, the banks are hoping you'll miss a payment or two, they get more on penalties.

[processor2]

"5 Dead in Maryland"

Maybe Queen Nancy Pelosi and the democrats will pass a non-binding resolution urging Bush to get out of Maryland.

...

[knyghtwolf]

MOM36330, and many other capitalistic christians like you are infected hairs on the butt of the Great Spirit, go get a good colon cleanzing & drink the results of your spirituality & close-mindedness.

[weetie61]

Another sad situation involving innocent children. My prayers are with the family.

[ecuadoriana]

In reading back some of the posts, I can't understand why people are questioning the fact that this family worked blue-collar type jobs (retail/restaurant) & bought a house.

Am I to understand that only the super rich are entitled to loans? Only the super rich are allowed to buy homes?

Are all of you, who are questioning this family's legal right to pursue the american dream, jealous? Jealous because you've never worked hard & sacrificed, & you hate it when others do because it makes you look like the lazy putzes you are?

Is it because you have worked hard & sacrificed, but hate it when others copy you, because you thought of the concept of home ownership first?

Or is it because you've never worked hard, wouldn't know sacrifice if it smacked you on the head & you hate it when pedro, the broken-backed landscaper & maria, his raw-knuckled-from-house-cleaning wife, save their money & buy a themselves a house rather than give the money to you?

***?! Anyone in this country, especially with a job, can get a mortgage, a loan, a habitat house. People save, cash in insurance policies, inherit money all the time. People buy foreclosures. I had a friend who put a downpayment on her house from a lottery winning.

[mainewintahs]

The kids are dead, the dad is dead by hanging,...
I bet mom is dead too. Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors. It's very sad. All these young lives gone. Children should not die by the hands of their own parents or anyone elses!! SAD, SAD, SAD!
To some of the simple minded posts before me:
A mind is like a parachute, It only functions well when OPEN!!

[neocon04]

yeah send your prayers out alright...where was your god when someone was killing those kids?

Posted by Mom36330 at 12:26 PM : Mar 27, 2007


God was most likely at the same place when his son was being killed. God did not kill those kids Mom, man did and I would be willing to bet it was someone with no believe or faith in God.

[goldenpost]

he has killed his wife, then the kiddies, then he hung himself. sick weirdo.

[gossimer]

There's as yet NO evidence that the father, himself, committed this sad acts then hanged himself. Perhaps he came home and discovered them himself, and in his own grief hanged himself. Perhaps it was an intruder, or inturders, that did this and then kidnapped the wife/mom.

Why are people SO quick to judge and blame? No one is any more "perfect" than anyone else, and those of you who "think" (yeah, right, that's a good one) you are, are even less so.

My heart and prayers go out to this family's friends and relatives.

[msphere]

Why do people blame God when things like this happen? Someone killed these kids out of their own free will, the only thing God gave us that he doesn't interfere with.He gave us a mind to make our own choices. Why blame Him when someone makes a bad choice? Besides where does satan fit into this? Sounds to me like it was his doing,not God.But people who have no idea who God is or what he is about, would blame him. If the Court System was more harsh on killers there would be less things like this happening.Look at Susan Smith. Any sicko can kill their children and get away with it.

[msphere]

knyghtwolf, sounds more like your name should be NIGHTMARE. Christians aren't a infection.That would be considered a pain in the rear. That would be you. You do not have the mentality to carry on a civil conversation, nor do you have the ability to even make sense. Your comment is childish, disgusting and boring. Get a life and an education, then get on this forum

[rdmay1956]

If any one reads the Bible they would know that God said that things would happen and so much worse. Before Jesus comes back. Please Please Take time to find that personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[me4prezz]

yeah send your prayers out alright...where was your god when someone was killing those kids?
Posted by Mom36330 at 12:26 PM : Mar 27, 2007

Why do we have to defend our christianity to anyone when the other religions of the world are accepted if only by political correctness in this nation?

Not that you need to know, but "our God" was taking the hands of those children into His and sheltering them from more harm. If you had studied or read anything into God or the Bible, it is that God gave humans a wonderful gift and that was free will. He has a plan for us, but it is up to us to choose what to do with our lives. Those who kill are obviously not choosing the path that was set for them, but God will pick up the lives that were hurt or crushed in that person's fall from humanity and will hold them tight and keep them safe from now on. That is where "our God" is. Where was your faith when those children were killed?

[missut2]

yeah send your prayers out alright...where was your god when someone was killing those kids?
Posted by Mom36330 at 12:26 PM : Mar 27, 2007

Blame god??? Just goes to show what you know in making such a statement....We are NOT lving in God's world...Satan and his dark angels run rampant...and man makes his own choices as to which road he takes in life. God will not force himself on anyone. He gave us a free will and will not interfere. God holds the keys to hell but one day He will cast Satan into hell and lock him away.

So don't blame God for the evil and the pain in this world. Your ilk rears their ugly head at every opportunity...especially when we see man at his most evil and shameful...and you try to blame God. Heck, many of you want to blame him for bad weather! Wrong again! As a matter of fact, you are wrong on all points...

[missut2]

"5 Dead in Maryland"

Maybe Queen Nancy Pelosi and the democrats will pass a non-binding resolution urging Bush to get out of Maryland.

...

Posted by processor2 at 03:30 PM : Mar 27, 2007



That would be a great start....then we would only have 49 states to go...bet we can get it done by election day!!

What an idiotic statement!