Puerto Rico Man Sentenced in Fall River Abuse Case

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — A man from Puerto Rico who had been living in Fall River was sentenced to up to nine years in state prison for rape and indecent assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said Fernando Rodriguez, 54, of Puerto Rico pleaded guilty and was sentenced on October 14 in Fall River Superior Court. He was sentenced to serve six to nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised probation.

Background of the Case

The D.A.’s Office said Rodriguez entered the lives of the female victim and her family while they were living in Puerto Rico. He abused the victim’s mother and all four of her children, both physically and sexually.

Details of the Crime

In March 2014, the victim, her family and Rodriguez moved to Somerset, and in October 2014, to Fall River. On or about July 9, 2015, Rodriguez walked into the victim’s bedroom while her mother and siblings were out shopping, and demanded she take her clothes off. She was 20 years old at the time and suffered from both physical and cognitive disabilities. Rodriguez then raped and indecently assaulted the victim.

Later that night, Rodriguez assaulted the victim’s mother and the police were called; the family went to court the next day to get a restraining order, and that’s when the victim disclosed the abuse she had suffered going back to Puerto Rico. Rodriguez was in court for the restraining order hearing but then fled the area. He was eventually located in 2023 in Washington, DC, where he was arrested and returned to Massachusetts.

D.A. Quinn's Statement

"The defendant repeatedly molested the victim starting in Puerto Rico and continuing when the family moved to Fall River. He terrorized the victim and her family who were very pleased that the defendant was finally held accountable for the abuse he inflicted on the victim,” Quinn said. “I commend her courage and perseverance. The defendant has been in custody since he was extradited from Washington, DC in 2023.”