DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Burr Ridge Chief of Police Marc Loftus announced on Monday, February 24, 2025 that Judge Joshua Dieden has granted the State’s motion to deny pre-trial release for a Burr Ridge man accused of attacking his mother, Virna Rodriguez, with a hammer in the family home last Friday evening. On Saturday, February 22, 2025, Oscar Rodriguez, age 37 (born 5/22/1987) of the 9100 block of S. Madison Street, was initially charged with two counts of Attempt Murder (Class X Felony) and one count of Aggravated Domestic Battery (Class 2 Felony). Sunday afternoon, Virna passed away from the injuries she sustained allegedly at the hands of her son. Rodriguez appeared at First Appearance Court Monday afternoon charged with two upgraded counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Domestic Battery.
Police officers with the Burr Ridge Police Department about 6:28 p.m. Friday, February 21, 2025, were dispatched to the family residence. Upon their arrival, officers observed the victim, Virna Rodriguez, on the ground sitting propped up against a chair, bleeding from her head and her nose with a significant wound to the left side of her head, and vomiting blood. Ms. Rodriguez, who was still breathing, but did not appear to be conscious, was immediately transported to a local hospital for medical attention where she was pronounced deceased due to her injuries Sunday afternoon. Following an investigation, police discovered that, in addition to Virna Rodriguez and Oscar Rodriguez being in the home, there was another woman in the home, who heard Ms. Rodriguez scream. When the woman went to investigate the scream, she observed Ms. Rodriguez sitting at the table bleeding, with Oscar Rodriguez standing behind her. Oscar Rodriguez saw the woman and allegedly ran toward her, chasing her upstairs. After the woman locked herself in a bedroom, Oscar Rodriguez broke through the bedroom door. The woman then locked herself in a bathroom and allegedly Oscar Rodriguez briefly banged on the bathroom door before fleeing the scene.
Illinois State Police troopers took Oscar Rodriguez into custody a few hours later without incident. When processing the residence, officers located a mini sledgehammer in the snow in bushes along the front sidewalk with a red substance on it that appeared to be blood. The snow around the hammer also contained a red substance which appeared to be blood.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for all those involved. I offer my sincerest condolences to Virna Rodriguez’s family and friends as they grieve their loss. I thank the Burr Ridge Police Department for their thorough investigation into this matter. I also thank the Illinois State Police and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance as well as Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Misura for her efforts on this very sad case.”
— DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin
“I am deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life. On behalf of the Burr Ridge Police Department, we extend our condolences to the Rodriguez family during this difficult time. I am thankful that the officers, detectives and DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office were able to resolve this case quickly for the family.”
— Burr Ridge Chief of Police Marc Loftus
Rodriguez’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 13, 2025, in front of Judge Mia McPherson.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
THANKS FOR READING CARDINAL NEWS
Get updates from The Cardinal ALL NEWS FEEDS on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts and sub-category posts from The Cardinal — Arlingtoncardinal.com. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor
Amazon Best Sellers in Audible Books