Overview
- Police arrested 27-year-old Rodrigo Melgar on Monday after executing a search warrant on Burbank Boulevard and booked him on suspicion of sexual penetration with a foreign object.
- Investigators say the alleged attack occurred on July 19 when a woman walking home from a gym was grabbed from behind, pulled to the ground and assaulted before witnesses intervened and the suspect fled.
- Detectives identified the suspect after releasing a public alert on July 29, canvassing about 50 local businesses for video and receiving multiple tips that led to his identification on July 31.
- LAPD detectives say Melgar frequently used local buses and other public transit and that they believe he may have targeted women near area gyms, so they are investigating possible additional incidents.
- Authorities are urging anyone with information or who may be a victim to contact North Hollywood sex crimes detectives or Crime Stoppers and note the arrest follows police appeals that prompted the tips and footage used in the case.