ICE agents arrest Bloomington hit-and-run suspect

Posted on August 12, 2019
Rodriguez
Jose Rodriguez, 27, is now in the custody of federal ICE agents. (Bloomington Police Department photo)

 

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – Federal authorities are a step closer to deporting an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, who’s charged with the June hit-and-run death of a motorcyclist in Bloomington.

WJBC News has confirmed that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were at the McLean County Jail Saturday to arrest Jose Rodriguez, 27, when he was released on a $10,035 cash bond.

His arrest came two days after McLean County Judge Scott Drazewski reduced bail to the original amount. Another judge earlier decided to raise bond by ten-fold to $1 million or $100,035 cash because of the federal immigration warrant.

Drazewski delayed the bond reduction until Saturday to give ICE agents a required 48 hour notice.

Now that ICE has taken Rodriguez into custody, the status of his criminal case is uncertain. He’s accused of driving a van without a license and running a red light at Main Street and MacArthur Avenue June 22, striking a motorcycle and killing its driver, Corey Cottrell, 39, of Normal. Rodriguez allegedly ran from the scene and surrendered the next day at the Bloomington Police Department.

Cottrell’s estate has also filed a separate civil lawsuit in McLean County Court on behalf of his daughters. The lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages from Rodriguez and his employer.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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