The death of a 47-year-old woman from the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood marks the fifth person to die, at least in part, due to the heat since July 1 in the Chicago area, officials said Friday.
An autopsy Friday determined the primary cause of Stephanie Rodriguez’s death was complications from heat stroke, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. A secondary cause was schizophrenia.
Rodriguez, of the 700 Block of East 76th Street, suffered the injuries at West 53rd Street and South Halsted Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, according to the medical examiner’s office. Rodriguez was pronounced dead at 3:52 a.m. Thursday at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Four other people have died since July 1, at least in part, due to the heat.
On July 3, 71-year-old Barbara Whigham and 57-year-old Mike Rodriguez died, officials said.
Whigham was found unresponsive inside a residence in the 1000 block of West 70th Street in Englewood, and while her primary cause of death was heart disease, contributing causes of death were asthma, obesity and heat stress, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Rodriguez, who was found unresponsive in a home in the 3200 block of South Archer Avenue in the McKinley Park neighborhood, died primarily of heart disease, with contributing factors being diabetes and heat stress, the medical examiner’s office said.
On July 2, David Gonzalez, 44, was found unresponsive in a residence in the 2700 block of West 68th Street in Chicago Lawn by officers responding to a death investigation. Gonzalez was pronounced dead on July 4, and an autopsy determined the death was caused primarily by heat stroke. Contributing causes of his death were listed as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
On July 1, Daniel Machnikowski, 69, died after being found at his home in the 1200 block of Darrow Street in north suburban Evanston. Machnikowski died primarily of heart disease, with heat stress listed as a secondary cause, the medical examiner’s office said.
All five deaths come after health officials have warned that prolonged periods of extreme heat can be especially dangerous for older adults, people with chronic medical conditions and those without reliable access to air conditioning.
Chicago currently has 287 citywide cooling facilities available for residents seeking relief, including all 22 police districts, community service centers, Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Park District cooling centers and senior centers, according to an earlier statement from the Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.
All six Community Service Centers will be open for cooling during standard operating hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.