KILLEEN, Texas — “It was just too short. We did not even get to see him take his first steps. We did not even get to see his first birthday. We did not even get to see his life,” Erin Griffith said.
More than six years have passed since Erin Griffith lost her grandson Landon Rasmussen. Landon was only eight months when he drowned in bathtub in Killeen in 2017.
“We all came to the hospital and Destiny held him in her arms. They took the breathing tube out and then he took his last breath,” Griffith said.
The babysitter, Rebecca Estrada, who pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony of injury to a child and admitted leaving the child alone in the bathtub, was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication — also known as probation.
“She could if she fails in terms of her probation, go to jail but at the end of her 10 years of probation it drops from her file. She has no record of anything happening,” Griffith said.
In June, Estrada’s attorney filed a motion to cut her sentence to five years. According to the document, she is paid all court costs, restitution and probation fees and said the case interferes with her ability to find a job.
“We have already gotten no justice. Now you are trying to cut it even shorter. It’s not fair. It makes me and my family feel like she, the lawyer and the judge say my grandson's life did not matter,” Griffith said.
That is why the family is now starting a petition to stop that from happening.
“My daughter put together a petition on change.org. Within the last 24 hours she is garnered over 1,200 signatures,” Griffith said.
Griffith said her family wants Estrada to serve the full sentence, the court date is set for Sep. 14.
