Man gets five years in child death

Anthony D. Rodriguez received a five-year prison sentence on Wednesday for aggravated unlawful restraint. The conviction stems from a Mother’s Day incident in rural DePue where police gunfire killed a three-year-old boy. Circuit Judge Geno Caffarini imposed the maximum term allowed by the statute.

Rodriguez, 42, stood in the Bureau County courtroom and told the judge he was not in his right mind when he held the victims at knifepoint. He apologized for the events that led to the shooting. The judge noted that Rodriguez refused multiple orders from responding police to release a woman and two children. Officers entered the residence and fired, striking and killing Damian Camacho, age 3. Body camera footage of the 17-minute event was reviewed by the court.

State’s Attorney Daniel Anderson sought the full five-year sentence. He cited the avoidable death of the toddler and the potential harm to the other victims. Anderson pointed to Rodriguez’s 2003 Cook County conviction for attempted murder. He argued there was no reason not to request the maximum punishment for the restraint charges. Rodriguez also faced misdemeanor convictions for assault and domestic battery.

Public Defender Eric May asked the court to grant a three-year sentence. He agreed that incarceration was necessary rather than probation. May highlighted that Rodriguez’s criminal history was distant and largely non-violent apart from the earlier conviction. He stated that Rodriguez was diagnosed with multiple mental health disorders while incarcerated. The defense argued these conditions played a major role in the restraint incident.

Judge Caffarini rejected the request for a mid-range sentence. He described the circumstances as egregious and noted that Rodriguez had a history of non-compliance. The judge pointed to disciplinary infractions during a past prison term. He also cited instances where Rodriguez refused to take psychotropic medication while awaiting trial in La Salle County Jail.

Caffarini stated he could not say the defendant’s conduct would not reoccur. He observed that had Rodriguez complied with prior court-imposed conditions, Damian Camacho would likely still be alive. The final decision set Rodriguez’s release date five years from the date of sentencing.