[IL] The life of Irma Arroyo Rodriguez has been stolen and our sorrow is one soul heavier

The savory smell of marinated chicken often lingered along Alameda Avenue in Oak Forest whenever Irma Rodriguez cooked a meal. She was a great chef and often shared food with neighbors... The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez... [Police] said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute"... Tuesday [June 2nd, 2009] was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago...

Much love to the involved families and friends.
Irma is more than a victim. The woman she was while she was living is not represented here in these news articles. If people who know and love Irma want to use this blog to share anything I can post that for you. I know it's only words right now - but I am so so sorry for who has been stolen from you. If there is anything that I can do, just whisper, and I will do it.



AUTHORITIES FINALLY ID WOMAN’S BODY IN TRUCK
Chicago Tribunal
By Admin on June 3, 2009
[Excerpts] ...The Cook County medical examiner’s office this morning tentatively identified the body found in the car trunk as Irma Rodriguez, 44, of the 15400 block of Alameda Avenue, a mother of three who had been missing since Sunday evening. Family members earlier had said that the body was hers... Oak Forest Acting Police Chief David DeMarco said police had executed a search warrant at the Rodriguez home, but said police had no suspects “right now” in the shooting death. They said they had not been able to talk to her estranged husband, Norberto, a former Chicago police officer who was charged with trying to kill her in 1997 — a charge he was acquitted of in a bench trial, court records show. The body was found Monday night in the trunk of Irma Rodriguez’s white Pontiac Grand Am... She had been shot several times in the back... Irma and Norberto Rodriguez were going through a divorce and were due in court Tuesday... Norberto Rodriguez allegedly shot his wife in the hand after a domestic dispute at their then-home on the South Side in 1997, but Irma Rodriguez later claimed she’d been accidentally shot during a struggle. He was charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of armed violence, but was acquitted on all charges on July 2, 1998... She’d been trying to prevent him from killing himself when the gun went off, she said during a Police Board hearing where he was fired after his acquittal... [Full article here]



MIDLOTHIAN BODY NOT ID'ED YET AS MOM
MyFoxChicago.com
Updated: Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009, 6:27 AM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 03 Jun 2009, 5:54 AM CDT
[Excerpts] The savory smell of marinated chicken often lingered along Alameda Avenue in Oak Forest whenever Irma Rodriguez cooked a meal. She was a great chef and often shared food with neighbors as their noses perked up to the aroma coming from Rodriguez's kitchen. "She always smelled up the neighborhood," recalled 30-year-old neighbor, Kurt De Grott, as he took a break from trimming the grass along his fence. "My daughter would be like, 'what smelled so good?' and [Rodriguez] would be like, 'come here' for a taste." Sunday night he saw Rodriguez's children arguing with her husband, Norberto Rodriguez. Their 44-year-old mother was missing. So was her car, a 2002 white Pontiac Grand Am. Then police showed up... Irma Arroyo was born in Puerto Rico in April 1964... Irma Rodriguez filed for divorce from Norberto Rodriguez in Sept. 2007 after 13 years of marriage, records show. They were due in family court Tuesday morning at the Daley Center. Carmen Quinones, Irma Rodriguez's attorney in the divorce, did not return phone calls for comment. Norberto Rodriguez was representing himself... Oak Forest police called on the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force to investigate. About 20 officers are working the case... At the time of the filing, she had been working as a secretary at Palos Community Hospital for about two and a half years, according to court records. A Palos Community spokesman confirmed Tuesday Irma Rodriguez still worked there. He declined to provide further details... Forest Ridge Elementary School District 142 Supt. Margaret Longo said. Rodriguez was an involved parent and a "terrific mom," Longo said... [Full article here]



YESTERDAY & THE DAY BEFORE:

POLICE SEEK MISSING OAK FOREST WOMAN
The Southtown Star
June 1, 2009
Sun-Times News Group
Police are involved in the search for a 44-year-old Oak Forest woman last seen at home Sunday evening. Irma Rodriguez, 44, was last seen about 7 p.m. Sunday in her Oak Forest home, acting Police Chief David DeMarco said Monday evening. "She has no health or other problems, and no unusual circumstance. It is unusual for her not to be in contact." Rodriguez is described as a Hispanic female about 5-foot-1 and 125 pounds, DeMarco said. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Also missing is her white 2002 Pontiac Grand-Am four-door, he said. The car has Illinois license plate TITA6. Anyone with information is asked to call Oak Forest police Lt. Mark Jensen at (708) 687-4050, Ext. 1207. [LINK]



BODY FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN, WOMAN STILL MISSING FROM OAK FOREST
Chicago Sun Times
June 2, 2009
[Excerpts] The body of a woman in her 40s was found in south suburban Midlothian, nearby Oak Forest where police have been searching since Sunday for a 44-year-old missing woman... Her identity was not available Tuesday morning and the medical examiner’s office would not provide further details as to where or when the body was found or how she died... Irma Rodriguez, 44, has been missing from her Oak Forest home since about 7 p.m. Sunday, Deputy Police Chief David DeMarco said Monday evening. "She has no health or other problems, and no unusual circumstance. It is unusual for her not to be in contact"...
Article commenter -
...Kids were out riding bikes and playing kick ball sunday evening when we returned form laundromat approx 6:15pm now what I do know is that Midlothian police are up and down kilpatrick writing tickets they even go into the private lots checking tags now its one day before the first of the month and most people are renewing registrations if this woman was reported missing at the actual time she went missing how on earth did they miss that neatly parked car on the street that was sitting there all day Sunday,uhm further more she was found last night not this morning I returned from work at 5;30pm went across the street to the store at 7:20pm there were no cops in site I return shortly before 8 roughly eight 10 and CSI is swarming the first cop car I saw said oakforest Police not midlothian,in addition a gentleman shows up frantically and says did they find her? my friends mother has been missing for two days well Sunday to Monday is one day then he says Verbatim her Husband turned himself into police around noon today with a Lawyer ironic...
6/2/2009 12:18 PM CDT on suntimes.com [Full article here]



BODY, MISSING MOM'S CAR FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN | UPDATED STORY
Chicago Breaking News
June 2, 2009 12:43 PM
[Excerpts] The woman's body found shot to death in the trunk of a car belonging to a missing Oak Forest woman still has not been conclusively identified as that Irma Rodriguez, police said this morning. Earlier, however, a relative said family members had been told by police that the body was hers... Rodriguez, a mother of three, is the wife of a former Chicago police officer dismissed from the force after he allegedly shot Rodriguez in the left hand during an argument... At a late morning news conference, Oak Forest Acting Police Chief David Demarco said police had executed a search warrant at the Rodriguez home, but said police had no suspects "right now" in the shooting death... Family members reported her missing because she never before had left the house without her purse and failed to answer her cell phone, he said. He said police had not recovered the cell phone... Demarco said there was no identification on the body. An autopsy was being conducted... [Full article here]




Woman's body found with apparent gunshot wound in Midlothian
ABC7chicago.com
June 2, 2009
[Excerpt] ...Court records from 2007 show that Rodriguez filed for a divorce from her husband, a former Chicago policeman, and there was a court hearing on the matter scheduled for Tuesday. "She's so nice. I mean, she's a mother of three children. Nobody wants to see that. She's a very nice lady. My neighbor just came over here a couple of minutes ago, she was crying because she had just talked to her," said Kelly Degroot, neighbor... [Full article here]


BODY FOUND IN TRUNK OF MISSING WOMAN'S CAR
ABCLocal
By Ben Bradley
June 2, 2009
[Excerpts] ...The woman found in the trunk car is believed to be Irma Rodriguez. She was married to a former police officer and in recent years their relationship had allegedly turned violent. But if police think the husband played a role in her disappearance, they're not ready to say so. On their hands and knees, searchers scour an Oak Forest creek and nearby retention pond. Presumably, they're looking for evidence - possibly a murder weapon - after a woman's body was found in the trunk of Irma Rodriguez's car. It was parked in nearby Midlothian... Tuesday was the day Ms. Rodriguez was supposed to be in divorce court. Proceedings began more than a year and a half ago. Her husband was a Chicago police officer, until he was fired for allegedly shooting at his wife. Weeks after the divorce proceedings began, Officer Norberto Rodriguez was charged - but not convicted - of shooting his wife in the hand... An internal police investigation of the incident concluded, "Officer Rodriguez unlawfully shot his wife, Irma Rodriguez, with his firearm during a domestic dispute." Police say they haven't spoken to Mr. Rodriguez and have not called him a suspect. Still, Tuesday's discovery of the body, and water search, indicate police have a theory about what happened... [Full article here]

BODY, MISSING MOM’S CAR FOUND IN MIDLOTHIAN
Chicago Tribunal
June 3, 2009
[Excerpts] ...Authorities would not identify the woman but family members confirmed her identity as Irma Rodriguez, 44, of the 15400 block of Alameda Avenue, a mother of three who had been missing since Sunday evening... She had been shot several times in the back, and her death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County medical examiner’s office... Rodriguez’ lawyer, Carmen Quinones, said she had been informed that her client was missing before the Daley Center hearing this morning. The woman’s husband also did not show up... The judge hearing the case postponed the case until next month at Quinones’ request. Norberto Rodriguez allegedly shot his wife in the hand after a domestic dispute at their then-home on the South Side in 1997, but Irma Rodriguez later claimed she’d been accidentally shot during a struggle. He was charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and one count of armed violence, but was acquitted on all charges on July 2, 1998, after a bench trial in front of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Ralph Reyna... [Full article here]


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