The reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment of whoever killed a respected Chicago 911 calltaker grew to $30,000 on Saturday, after the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives added $20,000 to the $10,000 previously offered by Cook County Crime Stoppers.
Natalia Rodriguez, 50, was driving her SUV south in the 4500 block of South Wood Street around 12:17 a.m. Friday when someone opened fire, according to Chicago police. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
Rodriguez had been visiting family in the neighborhood, said Ald. Ray Lopez (15th).
“She was murdered by idiots with no regard for life,” Lopez said. “Her loss is great because it takes away the thoughts of what could have been, and it leaves a stain on a community living in fear of gang and gun violence.”
Colleagues at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications, where Rodriguez handled incoming 911 police calls, remembered her as well-respected and beloved.
Crime Stoppers allows tipsters to share information and claim rewards anonymously. Each tipster is assigned a unique code number used to collect any cash reward. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-535-7867 or online at CPDTIP.com.
“The loss of one of our own — a Chicagoan, a public servant, a first responder — is heartbreaking,” Lopez said on Twitter. “She is blameless in all of this, and my heart goes out to her family, friends, and the community who support and love her.”
Lopez also called for broader change.
“Stop protecting gangbangers. End the cycle of generational gang culture. Stop funding ‘anti-violence’ groups that do not advocate for accountability but harbor this lifestyle, and demand that City Hall invest in real, concrete solutions that can bring lasting change to communities living in fear of gang terror,” he said.
The block where Rodriguez was killed is all too familiar to Chicago’s ATF office. In 2018, one of its agents was shot in the head while conducting a covert investigation just one block away. The agent survived, and the shooter was sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison.
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