A man who was deported to Mexico in January for battering a woman returned to the Wood River Valley within about a month and now faces a new charge of attempting to strangle his new girlfriend.
Adrian A. Rodriguez, a 19-year-old man who lived in Hailey, was arraigned Tuesday in Blaine County 5th District Court on a felony charge of attempted strangulation and a misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing officers. Rodriguez remains in custody in the Blaine County jail. There is an "immigration hold" on Rodriguez, which means that he's to be turned over to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency if eligible for release from Blaine County custody.
A jury trial was scheduled for July 7.
Court records state that Rodriguez first ran afoul with the law when a warrant was issued for his arrest in January 2008 for battering a woman in November 2007. He eluded arrest for a year but was taken into custody in January 2009. He pleaded guilty later that month and was sentenced to the 19 days he had already spent behind bars.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Matt Fredback said at Tuesday's court hearing that Rodriguez was then deported.
His latest alleged brush with the law occurred on March 8, when police were called to a domestic disturbance at the Balmoral apartments in southeast Hailey.
"The suspect allegedly got into an argument with his girlfriend and choked her," said Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter. "There were fresh red marks on both sides of her neck.
"When attempting to arrest Rodriguez, he was combative and resisted arrest," the police chief said. "He was subdued, but continued to struggle with officers all the way to the patrol car."
The girlfriend, a 22-year-old Hailey woman, filed a motion with the court to have a no-contact order dismissed.
She told Judge Barry Wood at Tuesday's hearing that she and Rodriguez had lived together for about six months and she wanted him to be given an opportunity for rehabilitation.
"All I'm asking is the right to talk to him," the woman said. "He is really putting an effort in how to deal with his emotions. It was not right what he did to me. Putting your hands on someone else is not right and does not resolve issues."
Judge Wood referenced the motion the woman filed with the court and read a written statement in which the woman said this "was the first time he had struck her since he returned from Mexico."
"Did he hit you before then?" the judge asked. The woman acknowledged that he had.
Wood also referenced a Hailey police report that stated that officers had been called to the couple's apartment for disturbances on three prior occasions.
"In the interest of public safety, I'm going to deny your request," Wood said.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Adrian A. Rodriguez
