Round Lake Beach Man Who Murdered a 15-Year-Old Girl Was Previously Charged with Armed Robbery, Theft, and Two Counts of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon in 2023

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart Should Have Sent Shorbonia Poole to Prison for Decades, but Poole Received a Sweetheart Plea Deal

Lake County, IL –In July of 2023, a mother of four was standing at a pump at a Round Lake Beach gas station when Shorbonia Poole, 18, approached her with a gun and demanded money while her four children watched from inside her car.

Following the actions of this horrifically violent crime, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart had an opportunity to send a message to Mr. Poole and all victims of violent crime in Lake County by sending Mr. Poole to prison for 21 to 45 years on charges of Armed Robbery, Theft, and Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Instead, State’s Attorney Rinehart sent Mr. Poole home on electronic monitoring rather than taking the case to trial or agreeing to send Mr. Poole to prison for armed robbery.

As expected, Mr. Poole ignored State’s Attorney Rinehart’s ridiculously weak slap on the wrist. On July 24, 2024,  Mr. Poole chose to violate his imposed curfew, walked away from electronic home monitoring, and fired a bullet from a 9 mm handgun through the front window of a home in the 1500 block of Cherokee Drive in Round Lake Beach, murdering 15-year-old Valeria Rodriguez, who was innocently sitting down at her table to eat dinner at about 9 p.m.

Lake County State’s Attorney Candidate Mary Cole

Rarely is there a case this cut and dry. I’ve repeatedly stated Lake County residents are less safe with Eric Rinehart as State’s Attorney because he ignores violent crimes and offers dangerous offenders plea deals most prosecutors wouldn’t even consider appropriate.

In the previous case, Mr. Poole had proven himself to be a violent threat in the community, but instead of prison for decades, he was given electronic monitoring and probation. If appropriately tried and sentenced for his previous crimes, Mr. Poole would be in the penitentiary, and a young, innocent 15-year-old girl would be alive today. Rinehart’s deal with Poole opened the door for him to kill a young, innocent Round Lake High School student who did nothing to deserve what happened to her.

Had Mr. Rinehart done the job he swore to do and had Mr. Poole been appropriately tried and sentenced to prison for his previous crimes, Valeria Rodriguez would still be with her family today.

Eric Rinehart’s policies continue to empower and embolden violent criminals in Lake County. He continues to fail as a prosecutor and continues to fail at protecting our community. The actions of the Lake County State’s Attorney should support victims and protect children from being murdered in their homes. Instead, Rinehart’s policies create new victims across Lake County. It deeply saddens me to know the murder of Valeria Rodriguez could have been prevented by a competent State’s Attorney in Lake County. Lake County residents deserve better.