| For Immediate Release Case # 12WF1083 May 9, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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LAW ENFORCEMENT SEEKS PUBLIC’S HELP IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OF MAN CHARGED WITH LURING 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL TO PARK TO COMMIT SEX ACTS
WESTMINSTER – The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and the Cypress Police Department (CPD) is seeking the public’s help identifying potential additional victims of a man charged with luring a 15-year-old girl to a park with intent to commit lewd acts. William Gabriel Rodriguez, 29, Cypress, is charged with one felony count each of contacting a child with intent to commit a specified sex crime, meeting a minor with intent to engage in lewd conduct, and lewd acts upon a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in state prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. The defendant is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for a continued arraignment May 25, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in Department W-14, West Justice Center, Westminster.
Rodriguez is accused of meeting 15-year-old Jane Doe on a social networking website and telling her he was 18 years old. He is accused of communicating with Jane Doe through his computer and phone texts for a period of two to three weeks before arranging to meet with her in person.
On the night of April 30, 2012, Rodriguez is accused of meeting Jane Doe at Maple Grove Park South in Cypress. He is accused of kissing Jane Doe several times on the mouth. At approximately 9:42 p.m. a Cypress police officer conducting foot patrol spotted the defendant and victim. The officer noticed the victim looked much younger than Rodriguez. She approached and spoke to the defendant. Rodriguez is accused of lying to the officer about his real age, saying he was 18 years old.
Upon further investigation, the Cypress police officer learned Rodriguez was 29 years old and the defendant was arrested at the scene.
Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794 or CPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau at (714) 229-6631.
If convicted, Rodriguez’s lifetime sex offender registration would bar him from entering County recreational areas and City parks which have passed the Sex Offender Ordinance. Visit www.orangecountyda.com to read the prior press releases on the County’s Sex Offender Ordinance as well as the 12 other cities that have enacted the Child Safety Zone Ordinance including Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, La Habra, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Seal Beach, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.
Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough of the Sexual Assault Unit is prosecuting this case.
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