WHITEWATER, Wis. - A Walworth County judge sentenced Yefferson Guzman Rodriguez to two years in prison for each of two counts in connection with an incident in which officials said he was wielding several rifles after holding a victim against her will for multiple days in October 2023.
Guzman Rodriguez pleaded guilty in March to felony counts of false imprisonment and strangulation/suffocation.
Case details (October 2023)
Officials say officers initially spotted Guzman Rodriguez on Highland Street – and he immediately fled on foot. Officers pursued Guzman Rodriguez – and he was taken into custody on S. Prince Street. Officials say Guzman Rodriguez "actively resisted officers' attempts to take him into custody, and a taser was successfully deployed to end the pursuit."
Officials say they learned Yefferson Guzman Rodriguez of Whitewater had reportedly held a woman – and at one point held a gun against the woman's head. Whitewater police arrested Guzman Rodriguez.
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On Sunday night, Whitewater police were called to a home on Janesville Street for a woman who needed help. Police say Guzman Rodriguez held the woman against her will for days – at one point, holding a gun to her head.
Officers set a perimeter around the residence and garage. The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and Beloit Police Department SWAT team responded to assist in the search of the property. The suspect was not located on the property during the search. Whitewater Police simultaneously searched multiple residences occupied by individuals known to the suspect without locating him.
"One of our officers had an idea of where the suspect might go based on prior interaction," said John Weidl, Whitewater city manager.
Police spotted Guzman Rodriguez on Highland Street Monday – and he ran off again. Then Guzman Rodriguez was arrested just a few blocks away on Prince Street. Police say he arrested their attempts to get him into custody – and had to be tased.
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Guzman Rodriguez was wanted for the following crimes: Kidnapping, False Imprisonment, Recklessly Endangering Safety, Intentionally Point Firearm at Person, and Disorderly Conduct.