Rodriguez pleads guilty in Johnston double murder, kidnapping

Daniel Kittredge
Posted 3/13/14

Daniel Rodriguez, 28, was sentenced to consecutive life sentences plus an additional 50 years.

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Rodriguez pleads guilty in Johnston double murder, kidnapping

Posted

A Johnston man has been sentenced to consecutive life sentences plus an additional 50 years after pleading guilty in an August 2013 double murder and kidnapping.

Daniel Rodriguez, 28, entered the plea before Justice Robert D. Krause in Superior Court, the office of Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced Thursday. He was charged in the murder of Evelyn Burgos and Vanessa Perez, and with the kidnapping of two-year-old Isaiah Perez.

“Daniel Rodriguez is a brutal, violent killer ... No one can imagine the horrors the three children, who were in the room at the time of the murders, experienced as they saw Evelyn and Vanessa brutally shot and killed, and the bravery it took for AJ, Evelyn’s eight-year-old son, to call E-911 and provide critical information to the police that led to the capture of Rodriguez and the safe return of his two-year-old brother Isaiah,” said Kilmartin in a statement. “The swift apprehension of Rodriguez was the result of the coordinated response by the Johnston Police Department, the Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police and many other police departments who worked together to identify and apprehend the shooter and safely locate the little boy.”

Police and prosecutors say that at approximately 4 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 11, 2013, Rodriguez – alias “Radio” – traveled to the Oak Tree Drive residence of Burgos, his ex-girlfriend, and her family while armed with a .357 Magnum revolver. He is then said to have entered the home through a rear window and confronted Burgos and Perez in a child’s bedroom. Also in the room were AJ, Isaiah and three-year-old Janiyah Crowell, Perez’s daughter.

An argument ensued, and Rodriguez shot Perez three times before delivering a single, fatal shot to Burgos, according to the attorney general’s statement. He then fled the home with Isaiah and his firearm.

An hour later, AJ dialed E-911, and Johnston police responded to the scene. An effort to locate the shooter and Isaiah began immediately, with Johnston, Providence, East Providence and Fall River police working with Massachusetts and Rhode Island state police and numerous other agencies.

Rodriguez was arrested at approximately 4:30 p.m. the same day at the Elmhurst Extended Care facility in Providence when his uncle, Providence Police Officer Miguel Mena-Torres, confronted him.

Shortly after 8 p.m. that night, Providence Police Officer Daniel Sirignano – who had been involved in the arrest of Rodriguez – observed a young boy wearing only a diaper walking down Sweetbriar Street unattended. The boy was picked up, and was confirmed to be Isaiah.

The lead officers from Johnston police were Maj. Frank Levesque, Detective Thomas Dwyer, Detective Anthony Sasso, Detective Joshua Heywood, Detective Christopher Decesare and Lt. Christopher Correia.

Other Providence officers who assisted were Sgt. William Dwyer, Detective Emilio Matos and Detective Teddy Michael. Rhode Island State Police Detectives Kenneth DeMarco and Matthew McGuire also assisted.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jay Sullivan and Special Assistant Attorney General Joseph McBurney.

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  • bciman

    Congrats to the members of Johnston Police Department.

    Job well done.

    Peter A DelFino

    Sunday, March 16, 2014 Report this

  • jtaxassoc

    Taxpayers will now foot the bill to keep this cold blooded murderer behind bars that will include fully paid healthcare. Bottom line is we need conservative leadership in which this guy should be electrocuted and televised to send the message to the other countless murderers out there which would unequivocally save innocent life's. Peter A Filippi III

    Friday, March 21, 2014 Report this