Long Beach Police arrested a homeless sex offender who they say followed a child home from the bus and intimidated them.
Police say that Jose A. Rodriguez, 48, followed the child from the bus stop their their home, repeatedly engaging in conversation along the way. Police say he intimidated and pressured the child, and then tried to make contact with them several times.
Rodriguez had been arrested twice by Long Beach police in 2004 for endangering the welfare of a child and stalking.
“When the initial report came in, we immediately recognized the modus operandi and description of the subject,” Detective Lieutenant Stefan Chernaski, commanding officer of detectives, said. “The subject was apprehended by Detective Thomas Rourke 15 minutes after he was positively identified. The swift identification and apprehension of this undomiciled defendant is a testament to local policing and our extensive knowledge of this community and its history.”
Rodriguez was arraigned in Long Beach City Court on Nov. 6 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was remanded into the custody of the Nassau County Sheriff.
Rodriguez is a registered level 3 sex offender. In 1992, he violently raped a woman at knifepoint.