Lorain police are searching for 44-year-old Jose Rodriguez, who is wanted on a warrant for murder after a shooting that left 41-year-old Dominic Berlingeri Jr. dead. Officers responded around 1:24 p.m. Thursday to a parking lot in the 2900 block of Pearl Avenue after reports of gunfire, and investigators say Rodriguez had not been located as of Friday afternoon. Police are warning residents not to approach him, calling him armed and dangerous.
According to cleveland19.com, officers who arrived at the scene found Berlingeri Jr. suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his leg. He was rushed to Mercy Health, where he later died from his injuries. Investigators believe Rodriguez and Berlingeri Jr. were involved in an altercation before the shooting, and police say Rodriguez allegedly retrieved a firearm and shot Berlingeri Jr. after another exchange between the two men.
Police say Rodriguez fled the scene behind the wheel of a red, two-door 1996 Toyota Tercel bearing Ohio license plate LAK9790, as reported by FOX 8 News. Officers have since checked several locations without locating him, per a media release cited in that report. Police have also released a distinguishing physical detail to help the public identify him: a tattoo of boxing gloves on his throat, according to the same cleveland19.com account.
Public Urged to Stay Away and Call Police
Authorities have been blunt in their warning to Lorain residents — do not approach Rodriguez under any circumstances. Police have asked that anyone who spots him call police immediately rather than attempt to intervene themselves, a caution that underscores how seriously investigators are treating the ongoing search for a man wanted on a murder warrant.
As of Friday afternoon, no arrest had been announced, and the search for Rodriguez continued across the Lorain area. The circumstances that led to the initial altercation between Rodriguez and Berlingeri Jr. remain part of the active investigation, and police have not released further details on what sparked the confrontation.
