Dec 6, 2006 10:59 am US/Eastern
Mother of Nixzmary Request For New Lawyer Denied
BROOKLYN (CBS) ―
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Nixzmary Brown's parents, Nixzaliz Santiago, left, and Cesar Rodriguez.
CBS
The mother charged with killing her 7-year-old daughter earlier this year, Nixzmary Brown, has asked a Brooklyn court to dismiss her lawyer.
Nixzaliz Santiago, 28, made the request, which was later denied by a judge, on Tuesday in court.
The request was made during a pre-trial convened to determine whether a statement Santiago gave to detectives and a videotaped confession about her daughter's death was admissible in court. Santiago and Cesar Rodriguez, 29, Nixmary's stepfather, are charged with her murder. The couple's trial will be held next month.
In January, the brutal death of Nixzmary Brown led to a shake-up at the city agency empowered to protect children, which had been notified on earlier occasions that she might be in danger of being abused. Police have said that Rodriguez beat Nixmary after she allegedly grabbed her stepfather's cup of yogurt from the refrigerator.
The child's lifeless body was tossed into a rodent-infested room in the couple's Brooklyn apartment.
During the court date Tuesday, Santiago asked the judge to dismiss her attorney, Robert Abrams, saying he had spoken to the press too often about the couple's case. She said his public comments were making it difficult for her at Riker's Island.
"The people there, every time they read the paper, they hate me more," Santiago said in Spanish.
During Tuesday's proceedings, further details of Santiago's alleged role in Nixzmary's death emerged. According to Santiago's written statement to detectives, she saw her daughter wheezing and moaning at least twice after the little girl's fatal beating, but was surprised the child died.
The pretrial proceedings for Santiago and Rodriguez continue today, including a viewing of the videotaped confession.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS 2's Coverage: Child Tragedy - Nixzmary Brown
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