Mom Blames State For Her Shaken Baby

Jessica Rodenheiser, a 22-year-old mother of two, shakes her 6-month-old son because he wouldn’t stop crying as her 18-month-old daughter was “acting up”–but she blames the state.

A frazzled Taunton mom who claims she begged the state to take her kids got her wish Friday, but not before she allegedly shook her 6-month-old son so violently he vomited and had to be hospitalized with a skull fracture, authorities said.

“It sounds like she was trying to get help and it wasn’t there for her, and the result was bad,” said Taunton Police Lt. Michael Silvia.

Jessica Rodenhiser, 22, told police she shook her infant son, Daniel, because he wouldn’t stop crying Friday morning as her 18-month-old daughter, Janet, was acting up, too. The boy was in serious but stable condition last night.

Rodenhiser admitted to shaking Daniel one other time and Janet twice, including once in the last week, the police report said.

State Department of Social Services spokesman Denise Monteiro confirmed Rodenhiser had sought state help in December, but said the young mother had never given any indication to any of her counselors that she might harm her children.

“We had met with her Tuesday, and we were putting some plans in place. We put her on a high-priority list for daycare,” Monteiro said. “She really wanted some respite during the day.”

Rodenhiser told police she had been “begging DSS to take the children because she couldn’t handle them,” the police report said.

“If she did, I’d be disappointed she didn’t get help sooner,” Silvia said.

It sounds to me like Jessica Rodenhiser was looking for a state funded baby-sitter. With an 18-month-old and a 6-month-old, she sounds like someone who got knocked up once, and stupidly got knocked up again, and doesn’t want the responsibility of having the kids.

Before blaming the state, why didn’t this woman seek out family and friends for help? Where is her support system? Where’s the dad(s)? No, she just blames the state, and avoids all personal responsibility. How typical.

Rodenhiser, who was still hospitalized for crisis counseling yesterday, hasn’t been charged with any crimes pending an investigation by Bristol County District Attorney Paul Walsh Jr.’s office. Her daughter was placed with a foster family after a physical exam determined she wasn’t injured, Monteiro said.

Neighbor Victoria Averill said Rodenhiser showed outward signs of being an attentive mother, but confided in her last week that she felt overwhelmed and desperate for help.

“She said she was going to give up her kids. I said if that’s the way she feels, that’s probably the best thing,” Averill recalled. “They were making her wait. She was frustrated by it.”

And why haven’t there been charges filed? This woman admits to injuring her infact son, who is a hospital with a skull fracture, and there are no charges filed yet? Will there be charges filed, or will this be another Andrea Yates style defense with Katie Couric sympathizing with her plight?

Aaron Margolis is a life long resident of the Bay State, and works at an architectural firm north of Boston. Aaron has a Master of Architecture Degree from Boston Architectural College and is currently in the process of becoming of a Registered Architect.