LEE COUNTY, Fla. — After more than seven months on the run, one of Crime Stoppers 10 Most Wanted fugitives is in custody and facing charges of aggravated child abuse.
Jeremy Rodriguez, 37, was taken into custody late last night in Harlingen, Texas, where he was hiding out with his brother. He had been on the run since July 2020.
Rodriguez is accused of severely beating a three-month-old baby, causing skull fractures and other injuries. Witnesses said they saw Rodriguez hitting the child with a closed fist, sticking his fingernails into the baby's neck, as well as throwing heavy toys at the infant.
A recent Crime Stoppers tip led U.S. Marshalls to find Rodriguez in Texas. He will be extradited to Lee County in the near future.
Rodriguez is a repeat offender, with previous arrests for the sale and delivery of cocaine, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, domestic violence by strangulation and a sexual offense on a victim between the ages of 12 and 15. Upon his return to Lee County, Rodriguez will be held without bond.
