A veteran New Rochelle police officer accused of raping a 17-year-old girl pleaded not guilty in court today. Sergeant David Rodriguez posted his $25,000 and was accompanied to court by his wife, Darlene Rodriguez, an anchor for WNBC.
Rodriguez had apparently been one of four police officers who responded to a domestic violence call on February 8. Hours after arresting her boyfriend, the alleged victim claimed Rodriguez returned to the house and raped her. Per the Journal News, it was days later, when the woman wanted to get the charges dropped against her boyfriend, that the rape allegations emerged (the person in the Domestic Violence Bureau was curious when she said "she did not want the officer to come back").
Investigators later found that she correctly described that Rodriguez's pubic hair was shaved. Rodriguez's lawyer said, "Time will show the complainant here has a number of motives here to make a false allegation," and also criticized the investigation. Rodriguez has been suspended with pay.
Darlene Rodriguez, present for the arraignment, was described as being in tears outside court. Afterwards, she told reporters, "I'm here to support my husband. I believe in him. I love him. He's innocent 100 percent."
