Jurors In Nixzaliz Santiago Trial See Videotaped Interview
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Jurors in the murder trial of Nixzaliz Santiago on Monday were shown a video interview taped after the beating death of her daughter Nixzmary Brown.
On the tape, a calm Santiago says she could not stop her abusive husband or tend to her dying daughter because she was preoccupied with her other children.
Prosecutors say that's an implication that her inaction led to her daughter's death.
"The video speaks for itself," said prosecutor Ama Dwimoh, "but I guess the question before everyone is, was she aware, did she know what was going on, and what if anything did she do or didn't do?"
But the defense says the tape shows she was a concerned mother who wasn't an accomplice.
"She says in the video tape, I tried to stop him but I had a screaming baby," said defense attorney Kathleen Mullin. "You can only image the chaos. This guy has gone off the hook and is beating this girl in the bathroom. There are six children in the house they are screaming."
Nixzaliz's husband, Cesar Rodriguez, was convicted of manslaughter earlier this year and is serving 25 years in prison.