Man convicted of murder to be sentenced Wednesday

On Wednesday afternoon, a judge will sentence Carlos Rodriguez, who is convicted of second and third-degree murder for shooting a young mother.

It is a day those close to the victim say they have been waiting for.

“I hope I get to hold up the picture of Kelsey’s daughter and let him look at what lives he just totally ruined,” said Kevin Hysler, a bar owner.

It has been more than two years since Kelsey Engelsen, 24, was senselessly gunned down outside a bar in East Naples.

“It was just this guy shooting a gun to be a tough guy and now there’s a kid growing up without a mother,” said Mike Hysler, her former boyfriend.

The man who took her life outside of Breaktime Lounge is Carlos Rodriguez.

“He went from his house, got a gun and shot because we had thrown him out of here three times,” Kevin said “He was angry. He was going to kill somebody.”

Now, Kelsey’s former boyfriend and his father who owns the bar, will go face-to-face with her convicted killer and fight for justice when a judge sentences Rodriguez Wednesday afternoon.

“The fact is he killed her in cold-blooded murder,” Kevin said. “Somebody he didn’t know.”

Rodriguez’s family members wrote letters to the Collier County judge asking for some leniency. Those letters said Rodriguez is a father, but the Hysler’s said they are looking for closure in this tragedy and for Rodriguez to get the maximum penalty.

“Imagine if it was your mother, your daughter, your sister, somebody you really do love and some guy you don’t even know came by and shot her and killed her for no reason at all other than to show he’s a tough guy,” Mike said. “How would you feel? You wouldn’t want him around at all.”

“To see someone who had total no remorse at all,” Kevin said. “How am I supposed to feel?”