$10M Bail for Man Charged in Death of 3-Year-Old Girl

A 42-year-old man was given a $10 million bail Sunday after he was charged in the death of a 3-year-old girl in Oak Forest, according to police.

Jessie Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Gina Presley, Oak Forest police said Saturday.

Police escorted a man out of the hearing after he began screaming that Rodriguez did not deserve bail.

Rodriguez, the boyfriend of Gina’s aunt and guardian, without justification killed the 3-year-old girl with blunt for trauma to the head, police said.

Another “person of interest” originally taken into custody was released and is cooperating with the investigation, officials said.

Rodriguez has been in custody since Thursday, but did not appear in bond court today despite police indications.

An adult in Gina’s home in the 15300 block of Walnut Road in Oak Forest reportedly called 911 to report the young girl was choking. She was later pronounced dead at Palos Community Hospital.

The Illinois Department for Children and Family services said Gina was never in their custody, despite reports from Oak Forest police that said she was.

“This is not consolation for the family or the community and only begins to provide a response to such a horrific act,” Chief of Police Gregory Anderson said in a statement.

Contact Us