Brother Charged In 15-year-old Sister's Fatal Shooting In Milwaukee's Southside

Brendaliz Morales-Rodriguez and Miguel Morales-Rodriguez

Brother facing 25 years in prison for killing his sister.

By H. Nelson Goodson

January 11, 2013

Milwaukee, WI - On Friday, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office charged Miguel Morales-Rodriguez, 19, with one count of second-degree reckless homicide for the shooting death of his sister, Brendaliz Morales-Rodriguez, 15, at their home in the 1500 block of W. Orchard St. If convicted, Miguel is facing 25 years in prison and up to $100,000 dollars in fines.

Miguel and his sister were in a bedroom when the shooting occurred around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, according to police.

The criminal complaint states, that when police arrived at the home, they found Brendaliz in a chair in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head. Miguel told police, "I shot my sister. I killed my sister," according to the complaint.

Police say, Miguel after several different statements finally confessed that he had an argument with his sister over a cell phone video game. Brendaliz had taken his phone away and when Miguel requested and wanted his phone back. He apparently pointed a gun at her with his finger on the trigger. Miguel tried to remove the magazine from the gun while having his finger on the trigger, when he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot Brendaliz. He had previously stated that the gun fell from his hands and accidentally fired killing his sister, but evidence on how she was killed didn't add up to what actually occurred.

Isabel Rodriguez, the mother of Brendaliz also told police, that her son who is charged for killing his sister suffers from a cognitive disability. The mother doesn't know where her son got the handgun.

Morales-Rodriguez, was a freshman attending South Division High School and funeral arrangements are being made to take her body to Puerto Rico for burial, once enough money for transport and burial can be gathered.

The Morales-Rodriguez family moved to Milwaukee about a year ago.


Update of case: 

On July 30, 2013, Miguel Morales-Rodriguez was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 6 years probation for 2nd-degree homicide after pleading guilty to killing his sister Brendaliz Morales-Rodriguez, 15.