SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD RECEIVES 55 YEARS AFTER KILLING A WOMAN WITH A STOLEN VEHICLE AND MOCKING HER
APRIL 27, 2023
Evansville, IN – Prosecutor Diana Moers announces that, on May 26, 2023, Mateo Reymundo Rodriguez was sentenced to 55 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for running over a victim—killing her—and fleeing the premises while stealing a vehicle at a gas station.
On May 26, 2023, Magistrate Judge Ryan C. Reed of the Vanderburgh Circuit Court agreed with the State’s recommendation to sentence 17-year-old Rodriguez to 55 years executed in the Indiana Department of Correction. At the sentencing hearing,
Deputy Prosecutor Heath Tuley argued that the Defendant’s actions were particularly heinous and caused an innocent woman to die, he had a history of delinquent activity, and he displayed a lack of remorse for his actions. Despite the Defendant testifying at trial that he did not see the victim and did not know he ran her over, Deputy Prosecutor Tuley argued the Defendant’s subsequent statements about the victim “playing superwoman†on the day she was run over by him plainly contradicting his sworn testimony and advocate for no leniency to be shown.
On April 3, 2022, then 16-year-old Rodriguez entered a parked, but still running, vehicle with the intent to steal it. Upon reversing, Rodriguez struck another parked car with the victim in the driver’s seat. The victim exited the car and ran to the front of the vehicle Rodriguez was driving. Rodriguez then callously accelerated forward, resulting in the victim falling underneath and being run over while Rodriguez sped away. The victim passed away due to her injuries. While in jail, Rodriguez communicated that if the victim wanted to play a superwoman, then she would get hurt.
Prosecutor Moers stated: “This young man took the life of a completely innocent woman and then mocked her. This sentence acknowledges the fact that Rodriguez has a complete disregard for human life and will now spend his own locked away.â€
