A man arrested for sexually assaulting a woman in a park in Boston's South End earlier this week was ordered held on $500,000 bail at his arraignment on Wednesday morning.
Police Commissioner William Evans said Eduardo Rodriguez, 31, of Boston, was released from prison in December after serving time for a previous offense. Prosecutors said he was convicted in 2008 of another sexual assault in the South End.
"He was a dangerous individual who committed an atrocious act," Evans said Tuesday. "I'm happy to say we got him."
Police said their investigation led them to Rodriguez after his GPS monitoring bracelet showed him in that area during the time of the attack. He cut off the bracelet after the attack, making it more difficult for police to locate him. They searched 15 houses before they finally found him.
"We were looking for him in the south end, we would looking for him in Dorchester, he had a lot of addresses out there but through the hard work of the officers behind me we were able to get him," Evans said.
Rodriguez was arraigned Wednesday on charges of aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, indecent assault and battery, intimidation of a witness and armed robbery.
Authorities said Rodriguez was riding a blue BMX-style bicycle at 1 a.m. Tuesday at a park near Greenwich Park and Claremont Street when he approached the victim.
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The victim told police the suspect said he had a knife and forced her to walk to the area of the Carter Playground, where he sexually assaulted her. He then fled towards Davenport Street through Northeastern University's campus.
Police say information from Rodriguez's GPS monitor pointed investigators in his direction.
Female graduate students told necn they were shaken by the incident, but not surprised.
Rachel Cameron, a graduate student at Northeastern, said, "I would imagine that someone would think it would be an ideal spot to take somebody... Doesn't have too many people around, especially in the middle of the night."
Another graduate student at Northeastern, Kendra Marcus, said, "The knifepoint instance is terrifying of course, but it's just one expression of sexual violence against women."
Rodriguez's next court appearance is Sept. 23.
