Florida Suspect Filed for Bankruptcy Prior to Shooting Rampage
We hear a lot about how personal bankruptcy has risen 30-50% since last year in some states, and how the numbers have leapt to their highest rate since 2005’s Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention laws were instated. With all of these numbers swimming around, we know that bankruptcy and unemployment similarly funnel into a dwindling consumer market. But how often does the personal impact of bankruptcy make headlines?
The salvation of the legal protection of bankruptcy did not come in time for 40 year old Jason Rodriguez, who is the prime suspect of shooting six people in a downtown Orlando Florida high rise, killing one and injuring five. Some investigators call his the “perfect storm” of financial woes: divorce, a pay cut to minimum wage, student loans, foreclosure, child support and a bankruptcy that didn’t come in time to absolve enough debt to keep his head above water.
Jason Rodriguez is in many ways not the typical bankruptcy filer—he has amassed a debt 20-fold of his assets, owning only $4,675 (in his car) and owing $89,873. He incurred this huge debt while working at a Subway, making $800 a month, barely scraping above minimum wage—a pay cut from the $27,000 he once made in Subway’s corporate office. His bankruptcy filing wouldn’t help the considerable back taxes he owed nor would it erase the over $11,000 he owed in child support; instead his bankruptcy preserved over $35,000 he owed in student loans and sizable chunk of debt he owed on a credit card.
Most bankruptcy filers take accountability for a debt more within their means, and use it constructively to avoid the foreclosure that a $15,000 pay cut like Rodriguez’s can easily lead to. His bankruptcy lawyer Charlie Price assessed that while most of his clients don’t resort to shootouts at the former place of employment like Rodriguez, his perfect storm of financial problems is not uncommon for bankruptcy filers today.
Though it may seem overwhelming, a timely bankruptcy filing can prevent the domino effect of foreclosure, elevating interest charges on the bills to pay and more—especially in a time of unemployment or underemployment. While it’s hard to find sympathy for a criminal who resorted to terrorizing his former co-workers, his exact financial predicament is extremely common in our economy. You can extricate yourself from your economic plight—the attorneys at Legal Helpers know just how to set you on this path. To find out how you can avoid foreclosures and make a mile-high pile of bills manageable, call Legal Helpers toll-free at 1-800-260-1402. Our representatives will help you gain the clean slate to start anew today!
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