Madrid due in court in toddler slaying

AURORA | A man charged with murder after police say he threw his girlfriend’s toddler son across a room is set to appear in court Thursday morning. 

Theodore “Ted” Madrid, 30, was charged in January with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse resulting in death in connection with the Jan. 5 slaying of Caden Rodgers. 

Madrid, who has been in jail since his arrest in early January, is set to appear in Arapahoe County Court for preliminary hearing Thursday. 

At the hearing, which is scheduled to last the entire day, a judge is expected to rule whether there is enough evidence for Madrid to stand trial. 

According to court documents, Madrid was baby sitting Caden in the early morning hours of Jan. 5 when he got frustrated with the boy and threw him over his shoulder. 

When Caden’s mother, Ashley Rodgers, returned home, she called 911 because the boy was unresponsive. Caden never regained consciousness and died a few days later. 

Madrid was initially charged with felony child abuse but the charge was upgraded to murder after Caden died.