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Disturbing Details Released In Santa Clara County Child Abuse Case

CAMPBELL (CBS SF) - A disturbing story has emerged about the circumstances surrounding a case of child abuse in Campbell. Authorities now suggest that a toddler had been severely beaten and apparently left for dead in a rolled-up carpet.

On May 9, the 15-year-old son of George Rodriguez, the 35-year-old man suspected in the abuse case, was reportedly searching for a model car in his family's garage when he stepped on a mattress to reach a higher shelf.  He apparently looked down and noticed hair - which led him to look beneath the mattress, where he found a rolled-up carpet with the 3-year-old inside.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

The teen reported the discovery to Campbell police.

The girl's mother, Jane Marin, is the suspect's former girlfriend.

"We received a call to do a welfare check on the three-year-old girl," explained Campbell Police Department Capt. Dave Carmichael. "And when investigators arrived the girl was not there."

Marin and her daughter were found at a San Jose shopping center parking lot near Santa Teresa Boulevard and Bernal Road, police said.   

The girl was taken to a hospital and was in the custody of Child Protective Services, according to authorities.

Marin was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of felony child abuse.

The search continues for Rodriguez.  He is wanted on a $125,000 felony warrant for child abuse charged related to this case, police said.

Police describe Rodriguez as a 35-year-old Hispanic man standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 230 pounds.

Anyone with information about Rodriguez's whereabouts is asked to call the Campbell Police Department at (408) 866-2101.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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