In the early morning hours of September 17, 2017, a domestic dispute in the front yard of a Queens, New York home turned fatal, claiming the life of 34-year-old Luz Cuza. A mother to a newborn son with her boyfriend, Robert Rodriguez, and two other children, Cuza was a woman described by those who knew her as a loving mother, daughter, and sister, who was full of life.
The tragic events unfolded at approximately 2:00 a.m. on 147th Street in South Jamaica.
Cuza's brother had been outside moments before the shooting and had spoken with Rodriguez, who he noticed was armed with a firearm. After his brief conversation, the brother went back inside the residence. Minutes later, the sound of a single gunshot pierced the quiet of the night. Rushing back outside, he discovered his sister lying on the ground with a fatal gunshot wound to her eye. As Cuza's brother desperately sought help from neighbors, Rodriguez was seen walking away from the scene, carrying a shoebox.
Responding to the scene, police quickly identified Rodriguez as the suspect. When they later went to his residence in Cambria Heights, they discovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol and 48 rounds of ammunition concealed within a shoebox. Forensic analysis confirmed that this was the weapon used to end Luz Cuza's life.
Robert Rodriguez, who was 36 at the time of the plea, was arrested and charged in connection with the death of the mother of his infant child. In January 2022, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree. The following month, a Queens Supreme Court Justice sentenced Rodriguez to 19 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
