Mom sentenced to prison for Amish attacks

ADAMS COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) The woman accused of organizing a string of armed robberies against Amish families was sentenced to six years in prison by the Adams Superior Court on Thursday.

Michelle Rodriguez, 42, of Berne, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

In September 2012, Rodriguez was planning to move to Fort Wayne from Berne but found herself short on money. She allegedly instructed her son, Brady Rodriguez, 17; David Veliz, 19; and Alejandro Lopez, 18, to "go rob the Amish" in order to get the money she needed.

In one incident, the three boys drove a Chevy Malibu up to the buggies , blocked them off so they could not pass, and got out of the car wearing gas masks and armed with baseball bats, according to an affidavit for probable cause.

Click here to read the entire Affadavit for Probable Cause

Two days after the incident, police had all four in custody.

Lopez, Rodriguez, and Veliz still face felony charges, including armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, and criminal confinement.