Latest news with #Rodas
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Queens mom beaten brutally beaten on Randalls Island improving but still critical: family
The Queens single mother of two prosecutors say was brutally beaten on Randalls Island by an ex-con out on parole is improving but remains unconscious and in critical condition, her family said Friday. 'She's a little bit better,' 44-year-old victim Diana Agudelo's daughter Stephanie Rodas said. ''The doctor just told me to take it day by day. They don't really tell me anything long term.' Doctors have begun weaning Agudelo off medications meant to reduce the swelling in her brain to see if it will go down on its own, Rodas said. 'She had a drain on her head that would drain out the excess blood that would come out. They took out one of the drains,' Rodas added. Agudelo was biking home from her job as a janitor at an East Harlem museum on May 16, taking her usual short cut through Randalls Island to get to her Astoria apartment, when 30-year-old parolee and registered sex offender Miguel Jiraud viciously attacked her, repeatedly beating her in the head before taking off with her e-bike, according to prosecutors. The victim lay unconscious in a grassy area near the 103rd St. footbridge for nearly six hours until Jiraud, posing as a good Samaritan called police at about 5:15 a.m. the next morning, alerting them he discovered the wounded woman, prosecutors said. Rodas, and her 22-year-old brother have been at their mother's bedside at Elmhurst Hospital ever since, holding on to hope that she will improve. Last week doctors told the family that Agudelo had a '99% chance mortality rate with her injuries.' Even if all goes well, doctors said she will lose all or most of her ability to move the right side of her body and will be blind in the top of her right eye. She will also have memory issues, the extent of which is not clear. Rodas said Friday that her mother is beginning to look more like herself again. Initially, Agudelo was 'so swollen' that Rodas could hardly recognize her. 'She's looking better. Her [external] swelling has been going down,' Rodas said. 'It feels good to see. It's mostly external. Internal [swelling] we don't really know.' Agudelo's co-workers at the Museum of the City of New York have created a GoFundMe that has quickly raised more than $75,000 for her continued medical care. When asked Friday what she'd tell New Yorkers, Rodas said, 'Just to continue thinking of my mom and to thank them for all the prayers that they have sent my mother's way.'
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
New Mother Faces Deportation After Border Agents Deployed to Maternity Ward
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 24-year-old Guatemalan woman who gave birth in Arizona after crossing the U.S. border while eight months pregnant is facing deportation. Erika Odalis Mateo Rodas has been released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while awaiting an appearance before an immigration judge, an ICE spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday. Newsweek has contacted the woman's lawyer for comment via email. Hobbs' office has also been contacted for comment via email. A U.S. Border Patrol agent searches for immigrants by the U.S.-Mexico border fence on November 03, 2022 near Douglas, Arizona A U.S. Border Patrol agent searches for immigrants by the U.S.-Mexico border fence on November 03, 2022 near Douglas, ArizonaWhy It Matters The case highlights concerns about how immigration authorities are treating migrant mothers and their newborns as the Trump administration continues to implement its immigration enforcement policies. The woman's lawyer said she was apprehended by Border Patrol agents last week after walking for two days in the desert. She fled a "violent situation" in Guatemala and is seeking asylum in the United States. What to Know Rodas gave birth at the Tucson Medical Center on Wednesday. Lawyer Luis Campos told the Arizona Daily Star that he went to visit the woman on Thursday after being contacted by an advocate who conveyed that she had requested to speak to an attorney. Campos said that when he visited her in the hospital federal agents who were deployed to the hospital's maternity ward had denied him access. Rodas was facing deportation under the Trump administration's "expedited removal" policy, which allows immigration officers to deport people without requiring them to appear before a judge, but she has avoided fast-track deportation after the intervention of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Reuters reported. After Hobbs contacted federal officials and protesters took to the streets outside the Tucson hospital as word spread about her imminent deportation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the woman had been placed in normal deportation proceedings following her discharge from hospital. "The woman was transferred to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations with a court date to appear before an immigration judge," a CBP spokesman told Newsweek. "The child remains with the mother." The spokesperson added that under U.S. law, there "is no statutory right to an attorney in immigration proceedings until a Notice to Appear has been issued. After discharge from the hospital, formal processing was completed and she was issued an NTA, after which she was immediately given the opportunity to contact an attorney. At all times, agents followed the law and adhered to CBP procedures. No entitlements were denied." Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said the woman and her newborn were released into the custody of a Phoenix non-governmental organization on Saturday. What People Are Saying The ICE spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek: "On May 2, U.S. Customs and Border Protection transferred custody of illegal alien Erika Odalis Mateo Rodas, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national, to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Following the transfer, ICE Phoenix Enforcement and Removal Operations immediately released her under its Alternatives To Detention program while awaiting her appearance before an immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review." Conover said in a statement on Saturday: "At this hour, I am informed by my law enforcement partners in the federal government that the young mother who gave birth at Tucson Medical Center has been reunited with her newborn and take to a Phoenix non-governmental organization where they have been released to the NGO's care. This is exactly the kind of circumstances that humanitarian exceptions to the law are meant for. I thank the staff at TMC and the community for showing once again the compassion Tucson is known for." Campos told 12 News: "It was a 180—no expedited processing. They're gonna allow her to make a regular asylum case in regular immigration court and she was released." A spokesperson for Governor Hobbs told 13News that her office contacted federal and local officials about the woman and newborn. The spokesperson said: "While she supports securing the border, Governor Hobbs has been clear in her opposition to inhumane immigration enforcement practices." What's Next Erika is expected to pursue an asylum claim based on her fear of returning to Guatemala. She and her newborn are leaving Arizona to stay with a family friend in Tennessee, 12 News reported.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother killed by suspected DUI driver in Concord while on way to work
CONCORD, Calif. - A mother was on her way to work in Clayton when she was killed by a suspected drunk driver this past weekend. What they're saying Her heartbroken husband spoke about their loss and their message to others not to drink and drive. "I miss my wife," said Armando Sanchez. He is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of his wife, Eva Rodas. "We eat together at the same time. We wake up; we go to work together; come back together at the same time; everything together," Sanchez said. He said his life would never be the same. Rodas was driving from her home in Oakley early Saturday just before 3 a.m. She was on Kirker Pass Road in Concord, just north of Hess Road, when her vehicle was struck by a suspected drunk driver. What we know CHP said the driver was going the wrong way when it crashed head-on into Rodas's Toyota 4-runner. Both she and the other driver died at the scene. Her husband said she was two minutes from her job at the Safeway in Clayton. "How do people drink and drive? Right now, you can use a lot of apps. Use Lyft, Uber," said Sanchez. Rodas' coworkers said she was well-loved and described her as being sweet. Her husband said he uses a tracking app on his phone to make sure his wife gets to work safely. They both worked at Safeway, but he was off that day. He shared a screenshot of the app when it indicated their SUV had stopped moving that morning. Sanchez said he knew something was wrong when she didn't respond to his messages. He rushed to the scene to find their vehicle had turned into a mangled pile of metal. Rodas's father, German Rodriguez, said the loss of his daughter is unbearable and that his heart is broken now. SEE ALSO: Relative says 3 family members killed in San Leandro house fire Sanchez said he and his wife saved their money and bought their dream home in Oakley five years ago. He said they had a happy marriage for more than 20 years. They were raising their 17-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. He's worried about how to make mortgage payments on a single salary and raising their two children without his wife. "It was a beautiful life for me. She was the best. She was everything for me," said Sanchez. In their home, a single candle was lit in her honor. Her husband has started an online fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses. The GoFundMe page can be found here. Funeral services for the 40-year-old Rodas are scheduled for April 3. Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU. The Source Interviews with relatives of the victim
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida teachers remind immigrant students to look past barriers
The big story: With all the attention being paid to tougher immigration enforcement, the message might get lost on some students that their status does not have to define them. Children can find success in education and beyond, overcoming obstacles along the way. That's the message that Palm Beach County teacher Carla Rodas brings to her students at John I. Leonard High, where about 70% of the population is Hispanic. Rodas herself was an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala growing up. 'It wasn't our choice to come here. We were brought here for a better future,' Rodas told the Palm Beach Post. 'But we can make it. We aren't going anywhere.' Read more here. Classroom walls: Pasco County schools are moving away from the 'open school' model that built classroom pods without walls. Educators say the distractions were too many. College presidents: Trustees named a 15-person search committee and hired a search firm to begin looking for a replacement for retiring Rhea Law. • The Board of Governors formally approved new presidents for Florida International and Florida Atlantic universities, News Service of Florida reports. History lessons: Families sending their children to a microschool in Miami's Overtown neighborhood say their children are excited to learn more about Black history, the Miami Herald reports. Legislation: A state senator has filed legislation to remove restrictions on work hours and break times for employed teens, Florida Phoenix reports. • A state senator is proposing new measures to track and improve upon student chronic absenteeism, WPBF reports. Preservation: The Escambia County school district will sell an historic school for Black students to the city of Pensacola as part of a future affordable housing project, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. School buses: Central Florida school districts looking to update their aging bus fleets are being confronted with fast-rising costs, WKMG reports. Teacher shortage: The Lee County school district aims to encourage high school juniors and seniors to consider becoming teachers through its 'Building on our Legacy' program, WINK reports. University research: Florida Institute of Technology has revamped its underused manufacturing design center to be an applied innovation hub, Florida Today reports. • Florida State University leaders are bracing for cuts in federal research grants totaling as much as $65 million, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. From the police blotter ... Leon County high school student was arrested on allegations of bringing a hatchet to school, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • A giant brawl broke out at Gadsden County High School, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. At least one student was injured, WCTV reports. From the court docket ... A former Palm Beach County elementary school teacher pleaded guilty to charges that he tried to have sex with a minor teenager, the Palm Beach Post reports. Don't miss a story. Yesterday's roundup is just a click away. Before you go ... Enjoy this gypsy jazz version of Claire de Lune.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'We can make it': Teacher's class helps Hispanic students prepare for college, careers
GREENACRES — Carla Rodas didn't know it that day, but she discovered her life's mission the moment her guidance counselor told her she couldn't go to college. Rodas was an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. She soon proved that counselor wrong, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from a U.S. university and then earning a master's degree. Now a teacher, she assures her students at John I. Leonard High School that their DACA or temporary immigration status will not keep them from getting an education or building a career. And she helps them chart a course to make those goals happen. 'It's like going back to that moment and being the teacher that I needed back then,' said Rodas, who has taught for 15 years in Palm Beach County schools. 'A dream come true': Single mom hopes her Habitat home inspires other young parents to try Rodas was teaching at Woodlands Middle School west of Lantana in 2019 when Leonard's former principal, Melissa Paterson, called her. She wanted her to teach the school's Latinos in Action class, which bridges 'the graduation and opportunity gap' for Hispanic students. Leonard was the first Palm Beach County school to start the class, now offered in 16 states, and for good reason: 70% of its students are Hispanic. Rodas had wanted to teach at Leonard ever since her oldest son returned from his first day there celebrating that he no longer had to hide his Tupperware of rice and frijoles during recess. She transferred there in 2020 and immediately felt at home. That Christmas, instead of gift cards, students gave her handmade tamales, arepas and empanadas. One bride's story: Dance, determination helped her beat cancer. Would they help her beat a new health scare? Rodas describes Latinos in Action as teaching pride about culture, preparing students for college or trade school and developing teens into leaders who give back. Students learn to research careers, write resumes and prepare for interviews. They get lessons on how to make a budget, organize community projects and eating etiquette. They also talk about the history and traditions of each Caribbean and Hispanic nation and even go into racial stereotypes and colorism within Latino communities. 'It's a quilt of everything they need to know to feel confident in the real world,' she said. Each year begins with 'Mi Historia." Each student must share their story. Rodas breaks the ice by telling her own. She was 10 when her family fled from the civil war in Guatemala. It flew to San Francisco on tourist visas and overstayed them to start a new life. In Guatemala, her father was a doctor for indigenous tribes and her mother was an accountant. In San Francisco, her mom raised her while working as a housekeeper. She recounts the fear she felt every time her mother laid out a plan just in case 'La Migra" knocked on the door. She ends being accepted to universities, receiving scholarships and obtaining permanent residency. 'You crushed it': How a 7-year-old Gardens boy saved his mom during an epileptic seizure Afterward, Rodas says many students admit they are undocumented, that their parents don't live in the U.S. or recount their journey here. It's important they know their stories and feel proud of where they come from, Rodas said. She reminds them they are diamonds being forged under pressure. 'It wasn't our choice to come here. We were brought here for a better future,' she said. 'But we can make it. We aren't going anywhere.' Rodas loves it when her students wear traditional clothes to graduation, call her when they open college-decision letters and stage events like a community Quinceanera. Her proudest moments, however, come from people like Mario, who crossed the border at age 15 from Guatemala. 'I am proud of you': How 10 girls had the quinceañera they thought they'd never get to enjoy He didn't even speak Spanish when he arrived in Latinos in Action. He picked up broken English on his journey to the U.S and mostly spoke Kaqchikel, an indigenous language. After school, Mario worked in construction and lived in a rented room. In 'Mi Historia,' Mario said he dreamed about going to college, Rodas said. By the time he graduated, Mario had a 4.0 GPA and he attended Palm Beach State College on scholarships. 'He had everything against him,' Rodas tells her students. 'You guys have no excuse.' Rodas is confident her students will become leaders in Palm Beach County and professionals proud of their roots and stories. 'Mission accomplished,' Rodas said. "It's like giving back my little grain of sand to my community.' Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@ and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Teacher's class helps Hispanic students prepare for college, careers
