5 arrests made in 2017 killing of Mexican mafia member's wife

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Wednesday, July 18, 2018
5 arrests made in 2017 killing of Mexican mafia member's wife
Investigators in the Inland Empire arrested five alleged gang members in the murder of a 41-year-old mother and wife of a Mexican mafia member.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Investigators in San Bernardino, Calif. arrested five alleged gang members in the murder of a 41-year-old mother and wife of a Mexican mafia member.

Carmen Rodriguez was gunned down outside a San Bernardino cafe in January 2017. She was married to then mafia member Andrew Rodriguez, who was in custody at Pelican Bay State Prison at the time, according to a San Bernardino Police Department press release that was made public this week.

Detectives believe other gang members ordered a hit on the mother of five from behind bars.

After the murder of Carmen Rodriguez, a task force was created with several local and federal law enforcement agencies to target gang members in prison attempting to influence city street gangs, as well as to identify the mother's killers.

Evidence led to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office to file murder and gang enhancement charges on 44-year-old Isaac Aguirre, 43-year-old Robert Fernandez, 30-year-old Eric Moreno, 45-year-old Richard Garcia and 35-year-old Matthew Manzano for the murder of Carmen Rodriguez.

Manzano, Moreno, and Garcia were all locked up when the woman was killed, the press release stated. Aguirre and Fernandez are believed to have carried out the hit.