Sexual Assault Of Child: Man Arrested On $1M Warrant

FREMONT, CA — A man wanted on a $1,000,000 warrant for the alleged sexual assault of a small child was arrested after he allegedly committed an armed home invasion in Fremont, with the victim pistol-whipped and hospitalized for head injuries. The suspect got away, but detectives doggedly tracked him to Hayward, and them followed him to San Francisco where he was arrested without incident. He has been booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office asked for the public for help last month in finding 30-year-old Alexander James Rhodes, noting at the time that he was homeless, and frequented both Castro Valley and Hayward.

According to Fremont Police, on Sept. 10 a man arrived home and found a strange vehicle backed into his driveway in the 35900 block of Magellan Drive. The 29-year-old resident noted the license plate, and also noticed two suspects, one later identified as Rhodes, peering into the door area of his home. The suspects grabbed the resident, brandished a gun with an extended magazine, and dragged him inside the home. The suspects demanded money and marijuana from the victim, which they believed to be inside the home.

Already inside the home was a 64-year-old woman, who was ordered to the ground and pushed onto the floor. The man fought with his captors and was pistol-whipped and put in a chokehold. Able to break free, the victim ran out and called 911. The suspects were gone when police arrived and the victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance for a head wound.

CSI’s and detectives immediately responded to the home. CSI’s collected several live rounds of ammunition found on the floor, apparently released during the struggle. Detectives researched the license plate noted by the victim and traced it to Rhodes. A criminal history check of Rhodes revealed three active felony warrants, for robbery, burglary and the $1,000,000 warrant for sexual assault of a small child.

Detectives from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office were notified and the two agencies pooled resources.

On Sept. 12, the suspect vehicle was spotted parked in Hayward. According to Fremont Police, "Surveillance on the vehicle was set up by multiple members of the Fremont Police Department and watched as Rhodes entered the car and drove away. Surveillance units followed Rhodes as he drove into San Francisco, where he was eventually arrested without incident. Rhodes was interviewed by detectives from both agencies. He provided a statement to both crimes and was booked into Santa Rita Jail."

"This is a great example of the positive working relationship ASCO and Fremont PD share. It was a great effort to locate and arrest this armed and dangerous suspect in a timely manner," said Fremont Police Lieutenant Michael Tegner. "Further, the use of technology, including automated license plate readers once again assisted in quickly solving a high priority case. Visual evidence is always a plus and incredibly valuable to the prosecution."

Detectives are continuing work on this case in an effort to identify the second suspect. He was described as a Black male, 5'8"-5'9", 160 pounds, early 30's in age, wearing all black clothing including a puffy black jacket and a black ski mask. He wore a foam sports mask which covered the area below the bridge of his nose.

If you have information on Rhodes or the other suspect, call the Crimes Against Persons unit at 510-790-6954.

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-Image via Fremont Police