By: Rafael Lazo
José and Marta Delmy Rodríguez lived life without major anguish, in Richmond, the capital of Virginia, United States. It was on August 9, 2021, that a phone call changed all the tranquility and peace in their home, it was a voice that said, “Isaac has been shot.”
Isaac Samuel Rodríguez, his son, had been shot twelve times by someone who, to date, it is unknown, or why he was murdered. The investigations have not concluded, Isaac’s parents say.
“It was 9:40 at night, on August 9, 2021, it was an ordinary day for us, and we came from work. We have a humble painting company, and like all typical Salvadorans, we had dinner and went to bed. But unfortunately that night changed our whole environment and our lives”, says Marta, still without getting over that painful fact.
“For us it was a moment of madness, Isaac was barely 21 years old. He died instantly, in front of his house, on Jefferson Davis Hwy, in Richmond. He was a happy and joyful young man, with many dreams. Someone who loved to assemble and disassemble cars, it was his hobby”.
“From that moment the painful path of life began for us; it is not easy to think that overnight, a person you love disappears from your life.
José Rodríguez says that he has no idea who murdered his son. Supposedly, there are some arrests, but there is nothing concrete.
“I lost my mother when she was 11 years old, she was killed in the civil war in El Salvador and it was a strong pain to lose my mother. But the pain of losing a child is incomparable. It feels like they ripped out your heart, slit it in half; left half and took the other half”, comments José.
REWARD
The Rodríguez family, with the help of several people in Richmond, through the police, offers a reward of five thousand dollars to anyone that gives concrete leads about Isaac’s murderers.
Marta says that the reward is still in force. Waiting for someone to inform the police, to clarify this case. “Today it is us, tomorrow it could be others, and it is not fair for a family suffers the loss of a child.”
There are people who have seen it, but I do not know why they do not want to talk. There is even an offer that someone who provides information and is undocumented can obtain permanent residence, says José. “I know there are people who saw it, but they don’t want to talk, they’re afraid” we need to report it so that the police can act and clean up the crime in the area, he says.
This anguished father states that he has asked several of his son’s friends if he had problems with anyone, if he owed money. In addition, they all say that he did not. For this reason, he rules out any of these hypotheses.
THERAPY TO HELP THE NEEDY
The death of his son Isaac greatly affected the health of his father José, which is why his wife Marta was very worried, “This tragedy was in August. In addition, on October 1, José had a stroke. They gave him therapy, but I felt that it was not helping him.”
Six months after Isaac’s murder, his girlfriend dies in a tragic accident; “Given this situation, José and I decided to donate the space to bury her body, near where our son was buried. This action, of solidarity, did well for my husband”, comments Marta.
“I discovered that it did well for José, to help others. Moreover, it was in this way that we found out that the father of Isaac’s girlfriend had fallen into depression. In the midst of this situation, we offered to fix his house. Together with our employees, we remodeled it. I saw the change in José, when he was doing something for another person. He was excited, in such a way, that these actions have led us to get involved in bringing more help to people in need and constitute the foundation with our son’s name” comments Martha.
In December 2022, invited by the consul in Woodbridge, VA, Guillermo Olivo. Together they brought a large number of toys to deliver to children in this consular assignment.
Subsequently, some aid has been taken to a shelter in Richmond. In addition, financial help is delivered to people in need in El Salvador, among other solidarity actions.
“Some people get together and give me toys and other products. Together with José, we go and distribute them. I see José’s expression when he is with other children, like he is transported to another dimension or reminds him of Isaac; this is the best therapy we have found to overcome this pain” says Marta.
Marta mentions that they have several aid projects for the next few months, so she invites those who wish to join them, to do so.
FOUNDATION
Marta discovered over the months, that one way to alleviate the pain, of both her and her husband José, was to help people in need, mainly children and the elderly; That is why they have established a foundation, with the name of Isaac Samuel Rodríguez, to collect aid and transfer it to those in need, mainly toys, food, clothing, monetary aid in extreme cases and the restoration of damaged houses, inhabited by elderly with low-income resources, among others.
Likewise, Marta believes that her spirit of solidarity is hereditary, “my grandmother was one of those who fed people when they did not have to eat, I have been carrying that, from generation to generation, I feel happier giving than receiving” she expressed.
The Isaac Foundation has two reasons, one is to help others and so that Isaac’s name is not forgotten. Every time we donate, we will give the people we donate a shirt with the logo of the Isaac foundation, say José and Marta.
They hope that the name of Isaac Rodríguez will not be forgotten, “we humbly ask, help us do justice, because he does not deserve to be forgotten, we want answers.”
RESTORATION AND PAINTING
José and Marta are willing to serve and help those who need it, for example, they say that if there are elderly people, people with disabilities, who need their house or room restored, either painting it or making some repairs, they will gladly go with their employees, to do their work free.
“We have experienced that we are happier giving than receiving; It’s not that we have money, but in addition to helping, we feel that our actions help us to overcome the pain of losing our son,” says José.
5% FOR HELP
In their painting company, the Rodríguez spouses have decided that 5% of the money from each contract obtained is destined for the foundation.
On the other hand, they show appreciation to their workers. They receive a free lunch every day, as part of their gratitude to the employees.
SINCE 1989 IN RICHMOND
José Rodríguez, settled in Richmond, since he arrived from El Salvador in 1989, like most of his compatriots, he immigrated to this nation fleeing the war between the FMLN and the government and the lack of opportunities to grow and develop.
Don José learned to weld in El Salvador, but the first job he found in the United States was in construction, as a carpenter “I started out earning four dollars an hour, three months later I was earning nine dollars.” With a lot of experience in carpentry, fate has led him, along with Marta, to dedicate himself to painting, where he has been for 14 years and they are highly recognized.
If you know anything about the perpetrators of this crime, contact
the Richmond, Virginia police.
If you want to join this foundation to help those in need, contact Marta or José Rodríguez, at Tel. 804-400-1532
