Photo by Skip Lawrence Ana Margarita Chavez, consulate general for El Salvador, speaks Tuesday after visiting the scene of the multiple deaths in a townhouse on Danielle Drive.

Rodriguez and the couple's four children, ages 1 through 9, were found dead Monday in their home on Danielle Drive. Benitez is missing.

Louise Lewis said more than six months ago, her niece Rebecca Reckley and her neighbor Sharon Grice called the police about three times when she saw the children playing in the street unsupervised.

"It was ... like I was sitting here baby-sitting," she said.

One of the children, Angel Rodriguez, 3, also called Pedro, would ride his bicycle in the street, she said.

"We were scared that he would get hit (by a car)," Lewis said.

Deborah Lundahl, business childcare liaison for the Frederick County Department of Social Services, said the agency does not have an active case with the family. Lundahl said she also was unable to confirm whether DSS had any cases with the family in the past.

Nelson Cuellar, owner of Deliciosa Bakery on West Patrick Street, said Rodriguez and his four children used to come into the store every week. Rodriguez would buy whatever the children asked for. One of the children's favorite was the tres leches cake, he said.

Only once did Cuellar see Benitez with one of the girls, he said. That was about two weeks ago.

The news of the deaths hit home with Cuellar, who has four children of his own. Monday night he went home and spent time with his children.

"I got my four kids (and) said, 'Guys, turn the TV off, we're going to pray for them,'" Cuellar said.

International connection

The consulate general for El Salvador in Washington met with the Frederick Police Department on Tuesday in hopes of learning more details about Rodriguez and Benitez.

More personal documents are needed to confirm Rodriguez was a citizen of El Salvador and find his relatives there, said Ana Margarita Chavez, consulate general.

When the consulate searched his name in its database Tuesday, it found more than 200 people with the name Pedro Rodriguez, she said.

Even after adding his birth date — believed to be Dec. 29, 1978 — it found several men with the same name and birth date, she said. It's a common name, she said.

Chavez plans to personally enter different combinations of names and personal details in the database today to see if she can find a match.

The government wants to find the relatives of Rodriguez to see if it should make arrangements to have his body and those of his children sent to El Salvador for burial.

She has spoken with the ministry of foreign affairs and said leaders and residents of El Salvador are disturbed by the news.

Chavez put out a plea for Benitez or anyone who knows the woman's whereabouts to contact the consulate.

Benitez has not been seen or heard from in more than a week, police have said.

Lissette Hernandez worked with Benitez in the kitchen at Outback Steakhouse. She said Benitez joined the staff about six months ago, and she last saw her on March 13.

Hernandez called Benitez's cell phone on March 19 and 21 to check on her. Benitez didn't answer. Hernandez believes she is dead.

"I don't know what happened," she said. "Those four children ..."

Employees working at the restaurant Tuesday declined to comment.

Rodriguez had worked full time as a frame table operator at Masonite International since 2003, said Larry Repar, spokesman for the door manufacturing company.

The company released a statement Tuesday.

"Sadly, we were informed by the police of the tragic deaths of Pedro Rodriguez and his children. Our deepest sympathy is with his extended family and friends at this time. We are providing counseling and other assistance to our employees in the Frederick facility as they try to come to terms with this tragedy. We are also assisting the local authorities in their investigation of these events," it states.

Some people who knew Rodriguez also said he worked at the Toys "R" Us. On Tuesday, company spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh said he did not. She would not confirm or deny if he had been a temporary worker at the Frederick facility.