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A longtime officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was arrested this week after an investigation linked his DNA to two separate rape cases in 2015 and 2018, prosecutors said Wednesday.
William Rodriguez, 33, faces two counts of forcible rape and was relieved of his police powers. The LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division, Sexual Assault Section, conducted an investigation that stemmed from a reported sexual assault involving an acquaintance of Rodriguez at his home in November 2018, the department said.
CALIFORNIA SEX CRIMES DETECTIVE ADMITS TO ASSAULTING GIRL, 15, IN CASE HE INVESTIGATED
The investigation found Rodriguez was also linked to a second sexual assault case in August 2015. Both incidents occurred when he was off-duty, police said. Rodriguez worked for the LAPD for 10 years and was most recently assigned to the Valley Traffic Division.
“When one of our own breaks the trust of the people we are sworn to protect and serve, it tarnishes the badge we all wear proudly on our chests,” LAPD Police Chief Michel Moore said. “This arrest reflects our commitment to pursue every lead no matter where the investigation takes us.”
“When one of our own breaks the trust of the people we are sworn to protect and serve, it tarnishes the badge we all wear proudly on our chests.”
Investigators identified Rodriguez as the suspect in both cases by a “cold hit” notification in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database. That means Rodriguez’s DNA matched the forensic profile of the offender in both cases.
Rodriguez is expected to be arraigned Thursday, according to the LAPD.
Last week, another former LAPD officer pleaded guilty to two felony sex crimes involving a minor. Neil Kimball, 46, a veteran LAPD sex crimes detective, was accused of raping a 15-year-old sexual assault victim after he was assigned to investigate her complaint. Kimball was arrested in November and charged with tying up and raping the girl during the incident in Camarillo in 2017.
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Kimball pleaded guilty to lesser charges of a lewd act with a child and unlawful sexual intercourse as part of a plea agreement, prosecutors said last Wednesday. He also will serve three years in jail and has to register as a sex offender.
Fox News’ Robert Gearty contributed to this report.
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