Jun 2, 2009 3:30 pm US/Central
Body Found In Midlothian May Be Missing Woman's
Irma Rodriguez Of Oak Forest Has Been Missing Since Sunday
MIDLOTHIAN, Ill. (CBS) ―
-
-
Irma Rodriguez disappeared from her home in Oak Forest on Sunday. Authorities believe a body found in a car in Midlothian may be hers.
Oak Forest Police
-
-
The body was found in this car, which has license plates that match Rodriguez's.
CBS
Police are investigating whether a body found overnight in Midlothian is that of a missing woman from Oak Forest.
As CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports, Oak Forest police are expected Tuesday to announce whether the body found in a car at 14800 Kilpatrick Ave. in Midlothian belonged to Irma Rodriguez, 44, who has been missing since Sunday.
At a news conference in the 11 a.m. hour, police confirmed that the car found in Midlothian was Rodriguez's, but did not confirm that it was her body.
The woman's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds and her death has been ruled a homicide, according to a Tuesday autopsy.
The car matches the description of a vehicle belonging to Irma Rodriguez, 44, who has been missing since Sunday, but authorities have yet to confirm her identity.
Rodriguez owned a white 2002 Pontiac Grand-Am four door with an Illinois license plate of TITA6, which has also been missing since Sunday, Oak Forest Deputy Police Chief David DeMarco said. The license plate on the car found in Midlothian is TITA6.
Police have been parked outside Rodriguez's home, near 154th Street and Alameda Avenue in Lake Forest, since Monday night. Neighbors say police searched the home for evidence.
"They waited around until they got their search warrant, and then they busted in the door last night," said neighbor Billy Rodriguez.
Neighbors are stunned by the likely murder, and they are hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.
"When I found out everything happened, I thought, like, she lives right across the street and that body could have been hers that got found," said neighbor Jon Hull.
"She'd walk her dog on the street and everything, and she was just a really nice lady, and always said hi," added neighbor Kelly Degroot.
Neighbors also say Rodriguez and her husband may have separated recently, and she appeared to have moved her property out a few months ago.
"The house was up for sale for a while, and then they came back," Richardson said.
Rodriguez is the wife of a former Chicago Police officer who was dismissed from the force in 1997 after he allegedly shot her in the hand during a fight.
"To have somebody that nice and that sweet and a mother of three kids be missing like that, it's just not right," Degroot said.
Rodriguez is described as a Hispanic female about 5-foot-1 and 125 pounds, DeMarco said. She has brown eyes and brown hair.
"She has no health or other problems, and no unusual circumstance. It is unusual for her not to be in contact," DeMarco said.
The South Suburban Major Crimes Unit is heading up in the investigation.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Vizquel Agrees To $1,375,000 Deal With White Sox 32 mins ago
E2 Victims' Families Demand Federal Investigation 44 mins ago 
Stumble It!
