#NY dad whose twin babies died in hot car pleads guilty, gets no jail time

The Rockland County father whose 1-year-old twins died after he forgot them in his sweltering car pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment Tuesday — but will avoid prison.

Juan Rodriguez, 39, copped to two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, during a virtual hearing before Bronx Criminal Court Judge Jeffrey Rosenblueth.

The judge sentenced him to conditional discharge, which will be voided if he is arrested within the next year.

Rodriguez, an Iraq War veteran, had initially faced two counts each of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for leaving son Phoenix and daughter Luna inside his parked Honda Accord as it baked for eight hours in the sun in the Bronx last July.

“I killed my babies!” Rodriguez shrieked to cops upon realizing he’d forgotten to drop his tots off at day care before working a shift at a Bronx Veterans Affairs hospital, police sources have said.

The case was adjourned several times as Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark weighed whether to seek a grand jury indictment.

Rodriguez remained free on $100,000 bail, and his lawyers had previously said he would not take a plea.

But he ultimately copped to the charges “so that he can move on with his life and get this behind him,” his lawyer said Tuesday.

“Mr. Rodriguez and his family continue to heal and work toward the day where all children can be made safer in hot cars,” Joey Jackson said in a statement.

“We appreciate that District Attorney Clark and her staff were committed to reaching a just and appropriate resolution in this case.”

Rodriguez and his wife Marissa are working on a foundation to raise awareness about hot car deaths and help prevent future tragedies from occurring, Jackson added.

“The legacy of his precious twins, Luna and Phoenix, will live on in the work they are doing to help so many others,” Jackson said.

In a statement, Clark said he also hopes the case will make other parents more vigilant this summer.

“This was a tragic, unfortunate incident. I hope that as the sweltering weather is upon us, caregivers will be extra vigilant about children in vehicles,” she said.