Arrest made in 2017 Houston case where police say woman was kidnapped, raped and drugged

Juan Rodriguez, 43, was arrested by Houston Police in southwest Houston on Thursday.

HOUSTON — A man was arrested Thursday in the kidnapping, drugging and raping of a woman in Houston. Investigators believe he may have more victims.

For years, police said Juan Rodriguez has been on the run. Sources tell KHOU 11 that Thursday night around 10 p.m. in southwest Houston, they caught up with him at an apartment complex on Meadowglen.

Rodriguez, 43, is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault for a December 2017 incident on Club Creek Drive, also in southwest Houston.

“The defendant drove up next to her with a gun, pointed the gun at her and told her if she did not get into the car he would shoot her,” according to court documents.

The woman told detectives she was taken to an apartment and was forced to do cocaine. 

“If she didn’t do the drugs he would kill her,” court documents say.

Then, she said he took her out to a restaurant. That’s where she was able to escape. She went to use the restroom and dialed 911. Another woman helped her give the dispatcher the restaurant’s address.

She was taken to a hospital for a sexual assault exam and they found DNA.

When the case was originally filed, prosecutors asked for a high bond, citing a previous assault conviction, a history of deportation and several aliases. Detectives also believe he’s responsible for other unreported sexual assaults. 

This victim told police she did not know the man and had never seen him before. Rodriguez is being held at the Harris County Jail, awaiting a bond hearing. 

Anyone with more information on Rodriguez is asked to contact Houston police.