An Illinois woman is facing serious criminal charges after investigators say she left her young son completely unattended for close to a full day, during which a house fire broke out and killed the child.
Aliannay P. Rodriguez, 21, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment causing death, and child abandonment in connection with the death of her 4-year-old son, Christopher Alfaro-Rodriguez, according to the Mundelein Police Department.
Firefighters were called to a home on Dalton Avenue just after midnight on March 23, arriving to find heavy smoke and flames engulfing three sides of the structure. Rodriguez and another individual told responding officers that the boy was still trapped inside. Crews attempted an initial search but were forced back by the fire. A second rescue attempt was blocked when a hallway inside the home became unstable and threatened to collapse.
Once the blaze was extinguished, firefighters located the child’s body in the basement. An autopsy determined he died from smoke inhalation. Officials said the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction.
Rodriguez initially told police she had only stepped away briefly to pick up food. However, investigators say surveillance footage, cellphone location records, and witness accounts told a different story — showing she had actually been away from the home for approximately 20 hours while working a cleaning job with her boyfriend.
A second resident of the home said he had left the previous morning and saw the boy at that time but had no idea the child had been left alone afterward.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office called it a heartbreaking case and urged the public to stay alert if they suspect a child is being left home alone nearby. Officials said the woman’s actions were extremely reckless and could carry a sentence of up to 14 years in prison if convicted.
Rodriguez was arrested and is currently being held. A judge denied a request to hold her without bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for late August.