Man charged in Calumet Twp beating death

A Gary man was formally charged Wednesday in a woman’s beating death at their Calumet Township trailer park, an affidavit shows.

Orlando “Maniac” Burgos, 30, of the 6000 block of W. 36th Avenue, was charged with murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, according to Lake Superior Court records. Sheri Richardson, 54, died Aug. 24.

He is currently in custody at the Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinois, after Chicago Police arrested him Sept. 2 on an unrelated parole violation, according to court records and the Illinois Department of Corrections. His projected parole date is in April, online records state.

A Lake County magistrate ordered Burgos to be held without bail in the Indiana case. Because he is in custody in Illinois, his next court date is not set.

Richardson told Gary Police that Burgos — whom she knew as “Maniac” — beat her in front of her trailer at the Colfax Mobile Home Park on the morning of Aug. 19, court records state.

Her son told police from the Michigan City State Prison where he is incarcerated that Richardson frequently had issues with Burgos, who “threatened and beat” his mother in the past.

Richardson’s fiance filed a missing person’s report at 7 a.m. Aug. 21, court records show. That morning, he went to her trailer and found the door open, her things in disarray and the dogs roaming unattended inside.

She had been taken to Methodist Northlake in Gary before she was transferred to Methodist Southlake’s Nero ICU unit for brain bleeding, trauma, broken nose, records show. She was initially logged as a “Jane Doe” on Aug. 19 before she was identified Aug. 22 and police were notified.

Richardson was initially able to speak with police.

She told them she went Aug. 19 in the morning to another trailer to ask them for a ride to get a car, then walked back to her trailer. Burgos walked up to her, saying she was “always starting stuff,” the affidavit states.

He punched her in the chest, then went back to his nearby trailer and returned with a gun “wrapped in something red,” she said. He pistol whipped her across the left side of her face.

“I should kill you, (expletive),” he said. “That is why your son is dead.”

Burgos left when she threatened to call the cops.

Richardson called 911 around 8:20 a.m., according to court records.

She refused medical attention, but asked police to stay while she gathered her things to leave.

Later, other residents saw her collapsed on the ground and an ambulance was called, police said.

By Aug. 23, hospital staff said her prognosis was “very poor” with a cerebral hematoma caused by the beating and a fractured nose. She had little to no brain activity, staff said.

Richardson’s incarcerated son’s relative told police a car Richardson may have bought the day she was beaten was missing. A car that belonged to her deceased other son and was vandalized with the plate missing, the woman told police.

Richardson died 12:25 p.m. Aug. 24, according to court records. Her death was ruled a homicide.

The next day, a Gary Police corporal saw Burgos in the trailer park and attempted to arrest him on an Illinois parole violation, records show. He appeared to run inside his trailer and a SWAT team was called.

While police were waiting, another man — Burgos’ friend — exited, holding an infant as a “shield,” while yelling at police, according to court documents.

When the SWAT team arrived and after initial negotiations failed, they went inside, finding Burgos and the second man had fled. He was not charged.

The 10-month-old child was found on the floor near a “ferocious” pit bull that police “neutralized” to protect other officers, they said.

A witness later told police they saw Burgos beat Richardson after she walked out of her trailer on Aug. 19, court records show. Around noon, the witness said Burgos was punching Richardson “like she was a man.”

The witness yelled at him to stop and yelled at neighbors across the street to help, the affidavit states.

Richardson appeared knocked out and unconscious, the witness said.

When Gary Detectives interviewed him in Chicago, he admitted he had problems with Richardson, but denied beating her.

Burgos was charged in the past with armed robbery, possession of a controlled substance and aggravated robbery in Cook County, Illinois, charges state.