Suspect in 2022 Rape Case Located & Arrested

A man wanted for the 2022 sexual assault case against two women in Putnam County was recently located in Canada, and arrested.

Cesar Hernandez Rodriguez, 34, a Mexican citizen, was returned to the U.S. after a prolonged and complicated extradition process. The arrest stems from allegations of sexual assault on two women July 4 and 5 of 2022 in the Town of Putnam Valley.

According to Putnam County Sheriff Robert Hess, his office began investigating the case July 5, 2022, and identified Rodriguez as the suspect. Rodriguez fled the U.S. to Mexico shortly after the incident, and in September 2022, a Putnam County Court arrest warrant was issued for him.

He was located in Toronto, Canada, in February of this year. On Oct. 7, he was flown to New York by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and sheriff’s office investigators took custody of him at LaGuardia Airport with the assistance of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement and the Port Authority Police Department.

Rodriguez was charged with seven counts of predatory sexual assault, three counts of first-degree rape, first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree sexual abuse, and three counts of third-degree rape, all felonies; and forcible touching, a misdemeanor.

He was arraigned in Putnam County Court and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility without bail.

Two other individuals were previously arrested in 2022 in connection with this case.

“Our investigators never stopped working this case,” said Hess. “Their persistence and professionalism over the past four years are the reason this individual will now answer these charges in a Putnam County courtroom.”

The Putnam County District Attorney’s Office was instrumental in bringing Rodriguez to justice, working with U.S. and Canadian agencies to begin the process of extraditing Rodriguez from Canada to the states.

“Our special victims ADA Chana Krauss spent 10 months working on this extradition,” said District Attorney Robert Tendy. “She had to work with various agencies from three countries and had to ensure that every legal issue was handled precisely. It took a ton of work and we are very proud of her.”

Tendy said his office stayed in contact with the victims during the entire process.