Nov. 07--A man who smothered his 5-month-old daughter when she wouldn't stop crying while he and the girl's mother were drinking has been sentenced to 85 years in prison, according to prosecutors and court records.
Rodrigo "Rico" Rodriguez, 31, who also goes by the name Rigoberto, was convicted last year in a bench trial along with his girlfriend, Angela Petrov, of first-degree murder in the 2013 killing of their daughter, Angelina Rodriguez, according to court records and a news release from the Cook County state's attorney's office. Rodriguez was sentenced Thursday by Cook County Judge Maura Slattery Boyle.
Angelina was smothered by her father in her parents' bed April 11, 2013, after she woke up and wouldn't stop crying at their home in the 2500 block of West Fitch Avenue, according to prosecutors and court records.
After Angelina's death, a Tribune investigation raised questions about whether prior investigations of family members, including Rodriguez, by Illinois family welfare officials should have flagged possible abuse.
The day she was fatally injured, the baby had been sleeping in her playpen about 2 feet from the couple's bed while they drank liquor in the same room while listening to music late into the night and early the next morning, prosecutors said. The couple's 2-year-old son and Petrov's 6-year-old son from a previous relationship were sleeping in the living room.
The girl started to cry after 3 a.m., and when a bottle given by Petrov didn't quiet her, Rodriguez put the baby on the bed and put his hand over her nose and mouth for about 30 seconds, prosecutors said. After about 30 seconds, the girl went limp and Rodriguez took his hand away.
But when the girl gasped for air and started to cry again, Rodriguez did the same thing again until the girl went limp, prosecutors said. He put her in the playpen, and the two went to sleep.
Petrov got up about 7 that morning and got another child ready for school, then went back to sleep. The couple woke up again after 11 a.m. and saw Angelina was stiff and unresponsive in her playpen. They told investigators at the time that they tried to wake her up by splashing water on her face and doing CPR, and Petrov called 911 when those methods did no good.
Paramedics found Angelina had "faint vital signs" and took her to Presence St. Francis Hospital, from which she was transferred to Lurie Children's Hospital because of the seriousness of her injuries, according to prosecutors. She had suffered severe brain damage and injuries to her organs because of the lack of oxygen.
Angelina was removed from life support and pronounced dead April 15, 2013. The couple at first denied knowing what happened. Hospital officials contacted police because of Angelina's injuries, and the two were arrested.
Petrov's sentencing is set for Dec. 17.
