Man convicted of killing 12-year-old girl, dog in DeKalb County hit-and-run
Eric Rodriguez (DeKalb County Jail)
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A jury has found a 43-year-old man guilty of the death of a 12-year-old girl and her dog killed on a busy DeKalb County road.
Thursday, a DeKalb County jury found Eric Rodriguez guilty on two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, hit-and-run, reckless driving, driving without a valid license, tampering with evidence, and driving with no insurance.
Officials say the fatal crash happened on the night of Nov. 11, 2020 on the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard access road. Earlier that evening, the girl's mother got a call from a relative whose car had broken down on the road.
Police say 12-year-old Amiah Kenney, her dog Noah, her mother, and her mother's partner parked behind the family member's vehicle and were waiting for the relative to gather her belongings when and SUV driven by Rodriguez slammed into the back of their car.
The force of the crash pushed both cars into the roads. Amiah and Noah both died from injuries in the crash.
Investigators say after the crash, Rodriguez left his vehicle, assessed the damage, and tried to drive off. When his SUV wouldn't move, he ripped its paper tag off the back and ran off on foot.
Rodriguez's appearance, including face and chest tattoos, helped police identify him from surveillance video after he got into an altercation in a bar a few days later.
After the jury's verdict, Rodriguez faces 18 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, April 4.
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