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Travis Rodrigues, the father of 18-month-old Kytana Ancog, confessed to hitting and shaking his daughter, who became unresponsive, Honolulu police said in court documents charging him with second-degree murder in the toddler’s death.
Rodrigues placed her lifeless body in a duffel bag and left her in a vehicle driven by a suspected accomplice, according to police. Ancog’s body has not been recovered.
Rodrigues, 40, made an initial appearance Tuesday before Judge Frances Wong at Family Court in Honolulu via videoconferencing from the courthouse cellblock. He was denied any reduction in his bail, which was set at $2 million.
Ancog was last seen Jan. 31 after her mother dropped her off with Rodrigues at an Aiea home.
Court documents said Ancog was coughing Feb. 4 when Rodrigues allegedly hit her in the face and shook her before “squeezing her against his chest.” She became unconscious and appeared lifeless.
Police said Rodrigues confessed that he made arrangements “to dispose the body.” He allegedly wrapped Ancog in a bedsheet and placed her body in a duffel bag, the documents said.
An acquaintance, identified as Scott Michael Carter, met Rodrigues in the garage of the Aiea home and agreed to give him a ride.
Carter, 48, dropped him off at another acquaintance’s home while the duffel bag was left in the vehicle, according to charging documents. Carter allegedly told Rodrigues, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it,” the documents said.
Rodrigues told police he does not know Ancog’s current whereabouts.
Police arrested Rodrigues in the Honokai Hale neighborhood near the Ko Olina Resort on Saturday afternoon on suspicion of murder.
Authorities also arrested Carter that night. He was charged Monday with first-degree hindering prosecution and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
The court documents say a witness told police Rodrigues slapped and kicked Ancog and tried to give her a methamphetamine pipe.
The witness also observed bruising to different parts of Ancog’s body and bruising and blood near her mouth. Rodrigues allegedly told the individual that the blood was chocolate and that Ancog had fallen in the shower.
The witness told police Rodrigues appeared “high” at the time.
Rodrigues has served time in federal prison for felony drug and weapon convictions.
His criminal history also includes three misdemeanor convictions for theft and terroristic threatening, according to the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center.
Carter has five felony convictions for vehicle theft and two felony convictions for burglary. His criminal history also includes two misdemeanor convictions for abuse of a family or household member and assault.
Ancog’s mother, Ashley Ancog, and grandmother Lisa Mora declined to speak with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser but said in a statement that they were “devastated” following Rodrigues’ initial court appearance.
“At this time our family would like to say thank you for all the prayers and kind words of encouragement that have been extended to us in this very trying and heartbreaking time. We are devastated to hear the details of what happened to Kytana on February 4th,” the statement said. “If anyone knows where Kytana is please come forward so that we may bring her home and lay our sweet baby girl to rest.”
Another relative said Rodrigues deserves the death penalty.
“They should bring back … the death penalty here in Hawaii for idiots like this,” said Cynthia Ng, who described herself as a parental figure to Rodrigues.
According to Hawaii state law, Rodrigues would be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole if convicted of second-degree murder. He could lose the possibility of parole if he is convicted and a court finds the murder “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.”
Rodrigues is being held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center, but his listed address is an Aiea home where his grandfather Leroy Rodrigues and Ng live. Ng, 71, said Travis Rodrigues listed their home as his residence after being released from prison, although she said he had not spent much time there.
“He lives here but he never lived here. He comes and he leaves crap all over the place, but he never comes back to take it, to throw it, nothing,” Ng said.
She has cared for Rodrigues since he was 4 months old but was not aware that he had been recently taking drugs, as court documents suggest.
“I never even knew this was happening,” Ng said. “He was not allowed to come back here if he was loaded. … I don’t condone drugs at all.”
Ng said Rodrigues’ parents had used drugs.
Travis Rodrigues court filing by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
To read the court documents detailing the charges against Travis Rodrigues, go to staradvertiser.com.
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