ALLENTOWN, Pa. | An Allentown man is facing more than a dozen charges in connection with an early-morning home invasion in which he allegedly terrorized a couple for more than three hours.
Allentown police charged Paulino Rodriguez III, of West Linden Street, with robbery, assault, rape and kidnapping after allegedly breaking into a West Hamilton Street apartment early Sunday morning and attacking the residents inside. District Judge Tom Creighton arraigned the 23-year-old Monday morning, setting bail at $300,000.
Authorities report that a man flagged down police officers about 7:30 a.m. Sunday to report a home invasion in the 700 block of West Hamilton Street that happened earlier that morning. The victim told police that his girlfriend woke him up about 4 a.m. for what sounded like an intruder in their apartment, according to court records.
The man left the bedroom to allegedly find Rodriguez, who pulled a revolver from his waistband and escorted the man back into the bedroom, according to records. The victims allege Rodriguez then forced them to strip before tying them together, gagging them, pistol-whipping the male victim and raping the female victim, according to the criminal complaint.
After Rodriguez spotted an empty handgun box in the apartment, the male victim told him that his brother had his guns. That’s when Rodriguez allegedly ordered the victim to call his brother to bring the guns to the apartment.
Once the victim’s brother arrived, Rodriguez allegedly remained out of sight, telling the victim that he’ll shoot him and his brother if his brother came inside the building. The victim handed over Glock 42 and Taurus 9mm handguns.
Investigators allege Rodriguez then tried to use an app to transfer money from the female victim’s account to his own. After trying unsuccessfully to transfer the money, he ordered her to withdraw cash from an ATM. He left the male victim tied up in the apartment.
The female victim told authorities that Rodriguez kept a handgun on his lap to prevent her from flagging down police as they drove to an ATM. After she withdrew $400, Rodriguez ordered her to park in a nearby alley, where he left her.
Investigators said surveillance footage from the couple’s apartment building showed Rodriguez in the hallway wearing camouflage pants, glasses, a hooded sweatshirt and a black beanie cap. Surveillance video reportedly confirms that he spent an extended time in the victims’ apartment and shows him escorting the male victim at gunpoint to retrieve the handguns from his brother, according to authorities.
Investigators said surveillance video shows Rodriguez leaving his West Linden Street apartment just before the home invasion, wearing the same clothes seen in the apartment surveillance video. Police staked out his apartment and arrested Rodriguez about 8:30 p.m. Authorities said they found the three handguns and that he was carrying a backpack with items stolen from the victims.
During an interview with police, Rodriguez allegedly admitted stealing the male victim’s gun and driving the female victim to an ATM to withdraw cash. It’s not immediately clear from court records whether Rodriguez knew the victims or why he targeted their apartment.
He now faces two counts each of robbery, theft and receiving stolen property and single counts of rape, aggravated indecent assault, burglary, kidnapping and criminal trespass, all felonies.
Police charged Rodriguez with two counts each of simple assault and unlawful restraint and a single count of former convict not to possess a firearm, all misdemeanors. He also faces a single ungraded count of carrying a firearm without a license.
He failed to post bail and was sent to Lehigh County Jail to await a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled for March 2.
Police said they discovered an arrest warrant from the Whitehall Police Department for Rodriguez. On-line court records show police charged him on Feb. 18 with a misdemeanor count of false alarm to a public safety agency.