A man wearing a fake badge in Orlando, Florida forced his way into a woman’s hotel room and robbed her at gunpoint. The incident occurred on August 23, and the woman reported that the man claimed to be a police officer, used handcuffs to restrain her, and stole her wallet while displaying what appeared to be a handgun. Surveillance footage from the hotel corroborated the victim’s account, showing the suspect’s arrival and close-up of his fake badge. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Michael Darren Jesse Rodriguez, who had been involved in similar crimes at other locations in Florida.
Rodriguez was apprehended by the Gwinnett County Police Department in Georgia on September 8, 2024, while driving the same vehicle linked to the Orlando and Lantana incidents. Detectives from Orlando traveled to Georgia to search the suspect’s vehicle, where they discovered a fake police badge, handcuffs, and other evidence related to the cases. An arrest warrant was obtained for Rodriguez, and he was arrested on October 2. He was charged with falsely impersonating an officer to commit a felony with a weapon, false imprisonment with a weapon, and robbery with a firearm. The Orlando Police Department encouraged any other potential victims of Rodriguez to come forward.
Authorities revealed that Rodriguez had previously committed similar crimes at a Days Inn in Miami Springs and in Lantana, Florida, indicating that this was not his first offense. The police department in Orlando has urged anyone who may have been victimized by Rodriguez to contact law enforcement. The police are continuing to investigate the case and have requested any information from the public to assist in their efforts. Fox News Digital reached out to the Orlando Police Department for their input on the situation, but no response has been received yet. The details of the case highlight the importance of authorities taking swift action to apprehend dangerous criminals like Rodriguez and bring them to justice.
