File video: Jay Rodriguez is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in 2020.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa man responsible for the death of his girlfriend and her unborn baby was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to two life sentences, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
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Jay Rodriguez was found guilty by a jury for kicking and hitting his girlfriend repeatedly, and stomping on her stomach while she was six months pregnant. The victim’s roommate told the jury she attempted to intervene during the beating.
However, the girlfriend was pronounced dead at a hospital due to her head injuries and blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner. Doctors were able to deliver her baby, but the child only lived for 20 minutes.
Rodriguez has a lengthy criminal history, as he served 10 years for armed robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault charges. After being released in 2013, he spent another five years in state prison for an attempted armed robbery in Tampa.