Man Gets Five Years in Child's Death
A Bureau County judge rejected a mid-range sentence, citing the defendant's history and refusal to take medication.
By Anthony Lawson ·
Anthony D. Rodriguez received a five-year prison sentence on Wednesday for the May 2026 incident in DePue that resulted in the death of a three-year-old boy.
The 42-year-old man from Princeton was convicted of aggravated unlawful restraint. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and domestic battery. Circuit Judge Geno Caffarini imposed the maximum term available under the sentencing guidelines for the main charge.
Rodriguez stood in the Bureau County courtroom and told the judge he was not in his right mind when he held a woman and two children at knifepoint. He apologized for the events. The judge did not reduce the sentence based on this statement.
State’s Attorney Daniel Anderson requested the full five years. He pointed to the 2003 attempted murder conviction from Cook County and the preventable nature of the child's death. Public Defender Eric May argued for a three-year sentence. May noted that Rodriguez had been diagnosed with several mental health disorders while in custody and claimed these conditions played a major role in the restraint.
Judge Caffarini reviewed a 17-minute segment of body camera footage before rendering the decision. The video showed Rodriguez refusing multiple police orders to release the captives. Officers entered the residence and fired, killing Damian Camacho.
The judge described the circumstances as egregious. Caffarini noted that Rodriguez had a history of disciplinary violations during previous incarceration. He also pointed out that Rodriguez repeatedly refused psychotropic medication while awaiting trial in La Salle County Jail.
Caffarini stated he could not guarantee the conduct would not reoccur. The judge emphasized that compliance with court conditions would have likely kept the child alive.
