A 27-year-old man accused of robbing a woman in an Orlando hotel room while impersonating a police officer was located and arrested in Georgia.
On Friday, August 23, Orlando Police Department officers responded to a hotel located near the intersection of Universal Boulevard and International Drive in reference to an armed robbery incident, according to OPD.
When officers arrived on scene, they spoke with a female victim who advised that a male suspect had “forced his way into her hotel room.” She stated that the suspect was wearing a badge around his neck and claimed to be a police officer.
According to the victim’s statement, the suspect allegedly restrained her in handcuffs inside the hotel room before stealing her wallet. The incident was corroborated by hotel surveillance footage, and a handgun appeared to be visible in the suspect’s waistband.
While reviewing video surveillance footage, OPD officers were able to identify the suspect’s vehicle. An investigation revealed that the his vehicle had visited several cities in Florida throughout the month of August.
The driver of the vehicle was later identified as Poughkeepsie, New York resident Michael Darren Jesse Rodriguez. He was wanted by the Lantana Police Department for an armed robbery incident that was “similar to the one in Orlando,” according to OPD.
On Sunday, September 8, the Lantana Police Department was informed by police officers in Georgia that Rodriguez had been apprehended in Gwinnett County while driving the same vehicle that was observed in both incidents in Lantana and Orlando.
OPD detectives traveled to Gwinnett County in Georgia, where they conducted a search of Rodriguez’s vehicle. During the search, they recovered the following: a fake police badge, handcuffs, and “additional evidence related to the Lantana and Orlando cases,” according to Orlando police.
OPD issued an arrest warrant for Rodriguez on Wednesday, October 2. He is currently being held in Gwinnett County as he awaits extradition to Orange County.
Upon his arrival at Orange County Jail, Rodriguez will face charges of falsely impersonating an officer, false imprisonment with a weapon, and robbery with a firearm.
Since Rodriguez is facing charges for similar crimes in at least two Florida cities, the Orlando Police Department is encouraging anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Rodriguez to contact law enforcement.