Gina Marie Presley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gina was removed from her mother's supervision and placed with the aunt in 2010. Sometime in December 2012, Rodriguez began dating Gina’s aunt, who had been Gina’s caregiver since she was six months old. On March 26, Gina's aunt went to work and left Gina in Rodriguez’ care. Sometime after she returned, Rodriguez told her Gina had been choking. Police received a 911 call saying that 3 year old Gina Presley was choking. Paramedics found Gina unresponsive and transported her to Palos Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.  Gina had a large bruise on her face, and investigators found vomit around her bedroom. An autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma to the head.

 

About a month before Gina died, her grandfather said he began calling the state’s child abuse hotline, worried about her safety. Days passed, and nothing happened. So Gerald Presley went to the Oak Forest police on March 11, telling them there might be “drug use” in the home where Gina lived with his sister, her legal guardian and his sister’s new boyfriend. Presley says the police told him to call the hotline again, and he did. Eight days later, Illinois child welfare officials asked police to make a “well-being check” on Gina, based on “reports of her having bruises.” When officers got there that evening, no one was home and they did not return. A week later, Gina was found dead, killed by the boyfriend who had caused Gerald Presley’s concern, prompting him to call the child-abuse hotline “at least” three times.

 

It is not Rodriguez's first brush with the law. In 1992, he was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and in 1991, he was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. There is also a prior report of alleged abuse against Gina at the home from March 19. Jessie Rodriguez, was charged with the first degree murder