The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ricardo Rodriguez, 41, in connection with a violent sexual assault that took place in Texas in 2004.
In April 2023, the Texas Rangers and San Marcos Police Department asked for HCSO’s help to get a DNA sample from Rodriguez.
Forensic genealogy suggested that Rodriguez’s DNA matched the victim’s DNA from a cold case in San Marcos, Texas.
Detectives from HCSO’s Special Victims Section collected two DNA samples from Rodriguez, which confirmed his connection to the 2004 DNA profile.
On September 25, 2023, Rodriguez was taken into custody after the San Marcos Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest.
He is being held at the Orient Road Jail in connection with the two counts of aggravated sexual assault that have been filed against him.
“The vigilance of both the San Marcos Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has exposed this predator, preventing him from hiding in the shadows any longer,” Sheriff Chad Chronister stated. “I hope the victim can begin healing knowing that the man who committed this gruesome crime is behind bars.”
