Ridgefield Press
POLICE: Church dismisses music minister charged in New York sex case
Apr 13, 2006

The music minister of St. Andrew�s Lutheran Church has been dismissed, after he was arrested on charges of child endangerment and statutory rape.
Omar Rodriguez, 28, had been the music minister and chorus director of St. Andrew�s Lutheran Church since September 2004, St. Andrew�s Pastor Carla Meier said.
On Friday, April 7, he was arrested on six counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the Town of Mamaroneck, N.Y., where he was a music teacher at the Hommocks Middle School.
After learning of those charges, a 16-year old girl came forward with her parents last weekend to report that Mr. Rodriguez had had sex with her in his Mamaroneck apartment in December 2005 and February 2006, Mamaroneck police said. Mr. Rodriguez was re-arrested on Monday, April 10, on two charges of statutory rape.
An area newspaper reported that the 16-year-old girl was from Ridgefield, but Mamaroneck police said they would not confirm her hometown in order to protect her privacy. Channel 12 News in Norwalk said she lives in Weston.
Lt. James Gaffney of the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department said yesterday, April 12, that the case is under investigation and there may be more charges.
In a statement, Pastor Meier said, �We are deeply troubled about the charges filed in Westchester County, New York, concerning our music minister, Omar Rodriguez. These charges are very disturbing because our children and their well-being are very important to us.
�As of Saturday, Mr. Rodriguez was relieved of his duties at St. Andrew�s.
�We are grieved over these allegations and will cooperate fully with the investigation and the police. Like everyone, we are saddened by these events and continue to pray for all those involved.�
The Ridgefield police said the case is a Mamaroneck matter because the alleged crimes occurred in New York.
�The Ridgefield Police Department has not received any complaints in this matter, and we are not investigating this matter,� Capt. Stephen Brown said yesterday, April 12.
Lt. Gaffney from Mamaroneck said the case was being handled by his department�s detectives.
�The statutory rape occurred in his [Mr. Rodriguez�s] apartment,� Lt. Gaffney said. �They�re working on the case right now.�
Mr. Rodriguez is being held in the Westchester County Jail on a cash bail of $150,000 or $1-million bond, Lt. Gaffney said.
He is scheduled to appear in court today, April 13, Lt. Gaffney said.

� Copyright by Hersam Acorn newspapers