A Munster woman is charged in connection with a man’s June 1 death inside a Hammond apartment.
Marysa Rodriguez, 22, appeared in court Thursday after she was charged with one count of murder in her boyfriend 22-year-old Alijah Adams’ shooting death. She pleaded not guilty.
His death was ruled a homicide.
Court documents allege she was along when Adams, of Bourbonnais, Ill., was there to rob a man, who shot him in self-defense. Indiana law allows an accomplice to be charged with murder if someone dies while they are committing a crime.
A Lake County Prosecutor Office’s spokeswoman said the shooter is not facing charges in Adams’ death. The Post-Tribune is not identifying him, since he has not been charged with a crime.
Adams’ family is disputing what happened and wants to see the shooter charged in his death. They acknowledged Adams had a criminal record.
The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond Friday afternoon for a request for comment. Hammond Police spokesman Captain Steve Kellogg said Friday he wasn’t given enough time in a couple of hours to look into a response.
In Rodriguez’s charging affidavit, the man, who shot Adams, said he was home with his girlfriend, when his ex-girlfriend showed up at 2:30 a.m. to the 600 block of 169th Street.
There was more banging on the door. He holstered a gun and went to answer. He refused to let Rodriguez inside. Then, Adams forced the door open, pistol-whipping the man in his nose, according to court papers.
Documents allege Adams pointed the gun, then hit the man in the face with the weapon, knocking him into a sofa. Adams took his cell phone and “demanded money”, saying he would “smoke him.” As Rodriguez fought with the other man’s girlfriend, Adams “stomped” the woman. Scared for their safety, the man pulled out his gun and shot Adams, wounding his own girlfriend.
Two witnesses, including one who said he wasn’t there at the shooting, said Adams said earlier that night he wanted to rob the man. One witness said he saw the shooter’s ex-girlfriend with Adams’ gun who threw it in bushes, where police later found it. Another person said if Adams didn’t have a gun “none of this would have happened,” records state.
Rodriguez refused to talk with police.
Multiple sources independently confirmed that Adams was shot five times.
Documents also show Adams did not have any residual gunpowder on him — meaning he was far enough away from the man when he was shot.
According to an autopsy report provided by the family, Adams was shot in the head, twice in the back, once in the groin and thigh. That could not be independently verified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office. A representative said they do not release specific details during an ongoing investigation.
“There was no reason to shoot him, his back was turned,” one relative said.
Relatives said Adams went out that night with Rodriguez and a group to an Illinois karaoke bar, a friend’s house, before they were invited to the Hammond apartment. Rodriguez knew the people there and had an issue with the current girlfriend. His relatives believed he didn’t have a gun, saying he left his vehicle at the friend’s house.
“We don’t know what truly transpired,” another relative said.
Rodriguez’s lawyer John Cantrell said the shooter’s ex-girlfriend had her come over while she was getting her things from his apartment. People had been drinking, he said. He argued they weren’t there for a robbery.
He didn’t believe the shooter had a strong self-defense case, but authorities were giving deference to a “homeowner.” He said the man should be charged in the shooting.
Adams was charged in connection with the Jan. 13, 2020 death of Julio Salinas, 39, of East Chicago. That case was pleaded down to Level 5 felony assisting a criminal last year. His co-defendant Josue Anaya was gunned down in 2022.
Adams was also charged with beating his pregnant girlfriend in 2022 in a case that was later dismissed. His relatives said their relationship had since improved.
He got a good job and had just gotten paid with no need to rob someone, they argued. One noted several of his items appeared missing — expensive earrings and cash he had on him.
“There’s nothing really supporting the self-defense,” the relative said. “Everything doesn’t make sense.”
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