A longtime repeat offender is set to return to federal court Wednesday, where he faces sentencing for tossing a lit Molotov cocktail at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport that was housing federal immigration personnel. Prosecutors want him locked up for nine years.
Plea Deal And A Big Ask From Prosecutors
Court filings state that Eric Anthony Rodriguez entered a change of plea in federal court last fall, admitting to possessing an unregistered destructive device. The Central District of California calendar lists a change-of-plea hearing on Sept. 10, 2025. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are now urging a judge to hand down a nine-year term, according to MyNewsLA.
Predawn Walk, Lit Bottle, Close Call
Investigators say Rodriguez cobbled together an incendiary bottle in the early-morning hours on June 21, 2025, then walked to a large hotel near LAX, lit the device and hurled it toward the entrance. The bottle landed in nearby shrubs, where a hotel worker snuffed out the still-burning wick before the device could detonate, according to a Department of Homeland Security arrest announcement. DHS officials said the hotel was being used to house federal immigration officers involved in enforcement operations.
The Los Angeles Police Department pulled surveillance footage from nearby businesses and, according to investigators, focused in on Rodriguez. He was arrested hours later after officers found him asleep near a gas station about a block from the hotel, MyNewsLA reported. Local coverage and court papers say no one was injured and the device did not cause physical harm.
Rap Sheet And Recent Parole
DHS materials and court documents describe Rodriguez as a career criminal with a string of felony and misdemeanor convictions reaching back through his adult life, including theft, forgery, narcotics offenses, and assaults. Officials say he previously served about two years in custody after a conviction for second-degree robbery, and prosecutors argue the Molotov incident happened less than two weeks after he was placed back on parole supervision.
Part Of A Broader Federal Crackdown
Federal prosecutors have filed a series of unregistered destructive device cases linked to last summer’s immigration-related protests. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles recently secured a four-year federal prison sentence for another defendant accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail during related unrest, underscoring how aggressively they are pursuing these cases. Justice Department officials say those prosecutions were built with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and local police agencies.
What The Law Says Rodriguez Is Facing
The charge Rodriguez admitted to, possession of an unregistered destructive device, carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a limit highlighted in U.S. Attorney’s Office write-ups on similar prosecutions. Justice Department statements about these cases stress that simply possessing a Molotov cocktail is treated as a serious federal crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court. The judge can follow the government’s nine-year recommendation or choose a different term after weighing the sentencing guidelines, Rodriguez’s criminal history, and any statements from victims, defense counsel, or probation officials. The outcome will be detailed in updated court records and government filings after the hearing concludes.
