Deputy: Man driving high on meth admits murder plot
PHILOMATH, Ore. -- A man pulled over for reckless driving early Saturday morning was arrested after he told deputies he planned to kill three people in Philomath, the Benton County Sheriff's Office said.
A sheriff's deputy stopped a car on Highway 99W at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday for swerving over the lines and driving 15 miles under the speed limit.
As he approached the car, the deputy reported that he found the driver, 33-year-old Anthony Joseph Rodrigues, Jr., was crying uncontrollably.
In a sworn affidavit narrating the incident, the deputy said that Rodrigues told him he had planned to go to Philomath to kill a woman, her husband and her child.
When the deputy asked about a handgun sitting in the passenger seat, Rodrigues allegedly responded "I was in a rage, I was gonna kill 'em."
The report goes on to say that Rodrigues told the deputy he smoked methamphetamine Friday afternoon before buying a gun and ammunition in Eugene. The deputy conducted a field sobriety test and found that Rodrigues was still high on meth, officials said.
Rodrigues was arrested on three counts of attempted murder, unlawful possession and use of a weapon, driving under the influence and reckless driving.
After the DUII test, the arresting deputy and a sheriff's office detective interviewed Rodrigues about the incident. In the interview, Rodrigues allegedly told the sheriff's deputies he first bought the gun to kill his father living in Veneta. When he found that his father wasn't at home, he decided to drive to Philomath and kill Cathy Scott and her family, officials said.
The fact that he went from a murderous rage to sobbing suggests Frontal temporal damage. Micro second emotional changes is one of the signs and symptoms. This guy needs long term care in some sort of locked facility be it a jail or mental hospital. Oh, and that condition is fatal within 2-4 years.
@PeterAWolf What condition is fatal? Jail or mental hospital?......LOL.
@Reeldeal101 Frontal Temporal dementia is fatal within 2-4 years.
@PeterAWolf @Reeldeal101 I knew what you meant...:)
The report goes on to say that Rodrigues told the deputy he smoked methamphetamine Friday afternoon before buying a gun and ammunition in Eugene
 "Rodrigues told the deputy he smoked methamphetamine Friday afternoon before buying a gun "
Hmmm... He didn't say where or from whom he bought the gun. Sounds a little fishy to me.
@myopinion240Â If you read some of the comments, you'll find he bought the gun at a pawn shop....apparently no background check was performed.
Man, some people are just really, really stupid.
There is this crazy person that never sleeps on these blogs (won't mention any names) but i think it might be on meth.
Looks reptilian
he's either the walking dead or a dead man walking
He has been reading my mantra "lower the speed limit to 5 MPH and save lives" and yes I know he was only going 15mph under the speed limit, but he was trying. And remember he was "speeding" I mean cranked up, I mean on meth.
Lot of lucky people in this story.  The guys dad is lucky he wasn't home.  The family is lucky the cop stopped him. And the cop is lucky the guy didn't go off and shoot him.  And this guy is lucky he got stopped before he committed multiple homicides. Happy Ending in my book. Â
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Look, I work with people that have suffered brain injury, its my job. The meth heads, Crankensteins, alcoholics, etc. are quite literally blowing holes in their brains. They are physically incapable of making good decisions. That is why I am diametrically opposed to legalizing drugs, catch and release jails, feel good programs and the whole lot. I worked with a patient who after taking drugs for years set a building on fire to keep warm... She was incapable of making a rational decision. Our society needs to grow up and put people like this in a secure facility for life for their own good and for the good of society.
@PeterAWolf The problem is that no one is willing to pay for it.  And we all have then-Governor Ronald Reagan to thank for getting the ball rolling in closing state mental hospitals. Â
@Sundowner @PeterAWolf Ronnie wasn't striking out on his own with that. It was part of a deal with the congress at the time, which they didn't fulfill.Â
@Josh Johnshum Thanks for the t/p....as you know, both work wonders to ease the pain and bring closure.  So does the fact that it's been over 40 years, I wasn't there to witness it and didn't know the jumper, and my brother's been dead for about 10 years (and so has Reagan -- coincidence?).  But your random act of kindness has made it all better now.
@Mr. Carbon Footprint I'm talking about when Reagan was governor of California, that's when the whole thing started.  It was a bit like when foster kids turn 18, they're dumped out onto the street with, at max, a high school education.  No money, no job unless they already had one, no place to live.  That's what happened when the government-funded mental hospitals began closing one by one throughout California and the patients ended up living on the streets.  One of them threw himself off a freeway overpass and my late brother plowed into him before the poor soul could hit the pavement.  Deadly for the former patient, extremely traumatic for my brother.
@Sundowner @PeterAWolf To be fair, many of the state run mental hospitals were substandard, at best.  That is part of the reason for the closure.  Only a small part, but a part, nonetheless.
@CTWUÂ I worked for the labor union that represented most of the employees at the time these closures took place and visited at least 5 of the hospitals. Â They certainly weren't the equivalent of a 5-Star hotel, but they were a far cry above the cardboard boxes people live in under the Morrison Bridge. Â Sadly, there are many mentally ill people who need a secure environment, both for their own protection and that of the public. Â It seems like everyone wants them locked up but no one wants to pay for it. Â Sign of the times, I guess.
@PeterAWolf For life or for life monitoring paid by the offenders they still have some brain left and could , perhapse be treated. Scale down with progress made.It is too bad a few are seing this problem the way you do, and the politicians do not care about our society at all.
Pawn shops: arming criminals legally since ....
(A) If the guy were in a murderous rage, the cop is one dang lucky SOB.
(B) I have a feeling the attempted murder charges may not hold up in court. Â It depends on a lot of factors and I doubt he was thinking reasonably and with meditation. Â It all depends on what he said and what his lawyer can manipulate.
@CTWU murderous rage and bawling his head off. Â
@CTWUÂ This guy is living proof that no matter what, once you've given a policeman your name and ID, it's time to shut your mouth and call your attorney.
@Sundowner @CTWU Aw!  But then, there goes one avenue of arguing out an insanity plea.
The gun dealer who sold the gun to an intoxicated man on meth could not even be sued for negligence had this man committed triple murder. The NRA got a federal law passed in 2005 granting gun dealers and manufacturers immunity from civil lawsuits. No other industry has that protection.
@lakeview Not even teachers unions?
@Mr. Carbon Footprint @lakeview Federal immunity law for state employees? I doubt it. You tell me.
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@feral @lakeview Look it up. Protection of lawful commerce in arms act.
@lakeviewÂ
So if you sell someone a used car and they get drunk and kill someone with it, you should be responsible. Got it.
@di_da_is_alpha @lakeview OK. Look. If you sell me a car and I'm drunk when you sell it to me and I drive off and kill someone, then yes you could face a civil lawsuit for being negligent. I hope that concept makes sense to you.
@Sundowner @di_da_is_alpha
Raising taxes hurts the economy, so they have to be raised very gradually, and only during times of economic boom. Keynes advocated cutting taxes and increasing government spending on things of value in order to stimulate the economy.  Food stamps, and other transfer payments do not stimulate the economy, regardless of what Nancy Pelosi says. Democrats also seem to forget that "cutting taxes" part. Right now the federal debt is becoming a legitimate concern.
The stimulus might not have been a bad idea if ALL of it was used for needed infrastructure, instead of Solyndra and other wasteful  projects. http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2009/06/billions-stimulus-funds-already-wasted/
@di_da_is_alpha And I say put up or shut up (not to you personally) -- what you want will cost more than our coffers have at the present time.  Everyone wants what you suggest, but no one wants to pay higher taxes.  And until our economy improves and more people get back to work, revenues will remain too low to fund the investigations, prosecutions and subsequent incarcerations necessary to accomplish that goal. Â
@Sundowner @di_da_is_alpha @lakeviewÂ
They do come with a lock. Even used ones, if you buy them from a dealer. Â It's the law, at least in Washington, and might be federal.
I say throw the book at all criminals.  Fewer laws, enforce the ones we keep, and make violent and career criminals  break rocks.
@di_da_is_alpha The tobacco manufacturers had to come clean and pay out 30 billion to the states before they got a pass.
@di_da_is_alpha @lakeview You know, as long as I'm giving my wish list for reform, I'll throw in that I think all new firearms should come with appropriate locks, no additional charge (though it would be built in to the price, I'm sure).  I haven't done the research, but I don't think it a bad idea that there be Federal charges in addition to State for anyone convicted of committing a crime with a firearm.  There -- that's all I got!  =)
@lakeview @di_da_is_alphaÂ
Good. Seems like the firearm manufactures learned a lesson from what the cigarette manufactures went through. Preemptive action, I call it, Â and you can blame those who go after makers of products instead of blaming personal behavior.Â
@di_da_is_alpha @Sundowner @lakeview You're confused. No one is exempt from civil lawsuits. Many are frivolous. Only the gun manufacturers and sellers are exempt from the very possibility of being sued. They have a special law just for them.
@Sundowner @di_da_is_alpha @lakeviewÂ
That does not address the point. If firearm dealers and manufactures were subjected to civil suits for the improper use of their product, then auto manufactures should be equally responsible for auto accidents.  Food producers responsible for obesity. And on and  on .......Â
@di_da_is_alpha @lakeview Because they get most of their money from firearm dealers and manufacturers.  This ain't rocket science.
@lakeview @di_da_is_alphaÂ
That's not the point. In this case, I'd be inclined to agree; dealers should not sell to anyone noticeably intoxicated. However, if someone purchases a firearm legally, then uses it years later to commit a crime, why should the seller be held responsible?  Same with mishaps, the seller should not be responsible for carelessness on the part  of the buyer.
If what you claim about the NRA is true, they were trying to protect  firearm dealers and manufacturers from silly lawsuits.
@di_da_is_alpha @lakeview Don't go to law school, it would be a waste of money.
Cleevus, is that you?
This guy's dad is freaking LUCKY he wasn't home
"After the DUII test, the arresting deputy and a sheriff's office detective interviewed Rodrigues about the incident. In the interview, Rodrigues allegedly told the sheriff's deputies he first bought the gun to kill his father living in Veneta. When he found that his father wasn't at home, he decided to drive to Philomath and kill Cathy Scott and her family, officials said. "
It is always good to have a Plan B. If you can't kill your intended target, go kill someone else. You can't make this stuff up, folks.
"As he approached the car, the deputy reported that he found the driver, 33-year-old Anthony Joseph Rodrigues, Jr., was crying uncontrollably. "Â
Effen crybaby is going to get a lot more to cry about. The many faces of meth. LOL
Yet another completely broken person. Let me guess; he has a rap sheet as long as my arm and he's out on parole or early release.Oregon needs to build a prison near Frenchglen and then properly staff and fund it.
Hoo boy. Cops have to deal with this kind of trash all the time. You couldn't pay me enough.
That's one butt ugly dude.
he premeditated killing , tbe gun was a tool, remember the guy who strangled his grandparents? make guns illegal and only criminals will have them...besides make guns illegal and some one will b build a real working lazer that will kill.and will be marketed as a non gun item. an lazers can kill. when there tuned right.Â
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@feral @lee986321 If you can't under stand what I implied then you need to reducate your self. this is America not England .remember we kicked there arses out. If you want English move to England.Â
@feral Good one!  I know why you like that link -- the picture of the "most flexible girl in the world" is down at the bottom!  Nice catch!
@feral @lee986321 Obviously, feral, you need to reducate yourself a little more in Americanese instead of Englabolics.  Jeesh -- if nothing else, could we all (OK, I'm maybe kinda sorta zeroing in on one person in particular) learn the difference between there, their and they're and too, two and to?  What the heck is an arse?  If I have one, I bet it's cuter than yours.  ;-)