A Milwaukee teen who admitted to accidentally firing the shot that killed a sleeping 10-year-old girl will spend just under a decade in prison, following a heartbreaking case that devastated an entire family.
Javier Rodriguez, now 19, pleaded guilty in June to second-degree reckless homicide for the May 2024 death of Isdennyeliz Ortiz, a bright and beloved child who was struck by a bullet while asleep beside her mother and baby brother.
On Thursday, a judge sentenced Rodriguez to 10 years in prison, with credit for the nearly 14 months he spent in pretrial detention. He’ll also be under supervised release for eight years after serving his time.
The tragic shooting unfolded just after midnight on May 31, 2024, inside a three-story home on West Orchard Street in Milwaukee, where several members of the extended family lived in separate units.
According to court records, Rodriguez was on the top floor handling a gun when it discharged. The bullet traveled through a couch cushion, the floor of the upper unit, and the ceiling of the room below—where it fatally struck Isdennyeliz in the chest as she lay in bed.
Her mother recalled the horrifying moment in the criminal complaint: her daughter softly said “ouch,” but then didn’t respond. When she turned on the light, she saw blood—and a bullet hole in the ceiling above.
Rodriguez immediately ran downstairs, reportedly saying, “It’s my fault. I’m sorry. Please forgive me,” before fleeing the scene. He was arrested days later and charged.
Surveillance footage helped police identify him. In the video, Rodriguez is seen outside with his father and another person just moments before the shooting, holding a tan firearm and wearing a blue rubber glove. Less than a minute later, a loud bang is captured on the recording, followed by Rodriguez sprinting frantically back and forth in the backyard.
The case also uncovered disturbing details about the household. A month before Isdennyeliz’s death, another bullet was fired inside the home—though no one was injured that time. During the investigation, police discovered multiple loaded guns inside a closet, including a satchel containing three 9mm pistols, a 50-round drum magazine, and several loaded magazines.
Rodriguez was initially facing up to 25 years in prison before accepting a plea deal. The case has raised questions about gun access and safety in multi-generational homes, especially where children are present.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: thedailycrime1
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://thedailycrime.org and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
