LYNN -Johnny Rodriguez is behind bars on $1 million bail after police said he sped away from them last Saturday before crawling out of a closet Monday as officers inventoried a stash of guns, cash and drugs they said belong to Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, 37, 8 Carlton St. #2, pleaded innocent Tuesday in District Court to 11 firearms and drug charges after police discovered an arms horde in his apartment including a Chinese SKS 7.62MM rifle with three fully loaded clips and a bayonet, a .22 caliber rifle, a .25 fully-loaded semi-automatic handgun, a fully loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a .38 revolver and seven boxes of ammunition.Police said the SKS rifle was lying on Rodriguez?s bed, readied for use. The search team, according to police statements and reports, also recovered nearly 300 grams of cocaine worth about $12,000, 2-3 ounces of marijuana, and $6,500 in U.S. currency. Rodriguez, said prosecutors, also had five pieces of identification representing three different identities and all bearing Rodriguez’ photograph.?This is someone who could be three people at the same time, who evaded arrest in a high speed chase. This is someone able and willing to run from the police,” Assistant District Attorney Eitan Goldberg said.Goldberg also said police found a note in Rodriguez’ apartment expressing hostility toward police and indicating he was not afraid to die. He also said Rodriguez served time in a New Jersey prison for an arson conviction.Rodriguez’ attorney Tatum Pritchard said in searching Rodriguez’ apartment police “went beyond the scope” of a search warrant obtained Monday confining the search to Rodriguez’ person.Officer Steven Withrow’s report detailing the search stated Rodriguez was arrested “on an earlier warrant. During execution, officers observed an assault rifle, an open safe with at least two handguns?We secured the apartment and I returned to the PD (police department) to obtain a search warrant for the drugs and firearms.”In setting Rodriguez’ bail, Judge Stacey Fortes-White revoked previous bail set for Rodriguez in a Salem case and noted Rodriguez has “numerous” restraining orders filed against him.Goldberg said Rodriguez’ court record includes a 2003 case in which he was charged with aggravated assault and violation of a restraining order after a woman told Salem Police he attacked her, slamming her against a wall, when she told him she planned to terminate a pregnancy.He faces a minimum 15 years in state prison if convicted on the firearms and drug charges.Rodriguez’ arrest by heavily-armed police came after he was initially stopped by police Saturday as they fanned out across the city in response to several shootings. Rodriguez managed to flee in his gray Infiniti sports sedan after being stopped by Police Gang Unit head Edward Nardone.Police set up a surveillance operation outside Rodriguez’ apartment building on Monday. Knowing he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest and was probably armed, the Police Special Response Team entered Rodriguez’s second floor apartment and found Rodriguez hiding in a back hallway closet after calling out for him to surrender.He is scheduled to return to court on July 9.Rodriguez has not been linked to date by police with any of the weekend shootings.
