ORLANDO, Fla. – A New York man accused of impersonating an officer and forcing his way into a woman’s hotel room in Orlando has been taken into custody, according to the police department.
Police said Thursday in a news release that they received a report about an “armed robbery” at Hotel Monreale Express near Universal Boulevard and International Drive in August.
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Officers met with the victim, who claimed that an “unknown man” with a “badge” around his neck had forced his way into her room, claiming to be an officer, the release shows.
“The victim told detectives that the suspect restrained her in handcuffs and stole her wallet while displaying what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband,” the release reads. “Her recollection of events was corroborated by hotel surveillance video.”
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According to investigators, police also used the surveillance video to identify the suspect’s vehicle, which was seen visiting several other Florida metropolitan cities in August.
Detectives discovered that the driver had stopped at a Days Inn in Miami Springs, investigators said. Police later identified the suspect as Michael Darren Jesse Rodriguez, 27, of Poughkeepsie, New York.
Per detectives, a search for Rodriguez revealed that he was wanted for an armed robbery out of Lantana — similar to the case in Orlando.
On Sept. 8, law enforcement officers in Georgia contacted Lantana police, explaining they’d caught Rodriguez driving the same car seen during both incidents in Lantana and Orlando, the release states.
Afterward, Orlando police traveled to Georgia and searched Rodriguez’s car, finding a fake police badge, handcuffs and more evidence related to the two Florida cases, according to investigators.
A warrant was issued for Rodriguez’s arrest on Oct. 2.
“Once Rodriguez is extradited to Orange County, he will face charges of falsely personating (sic) an officer to commit felony with a weapon, false imprisonment with a weapon and robbery with a firearm,” the news release says.
In addition, police are encouraging anyone else who might have been victimized by Rodriguez to contact law enforcement.
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