Indiana Cops Arrest Woman For Sharing Name With Suspect Despite Different Middle Name, Birthday, & Social Security Number

Chris | InformationLiberation
May. 29, 2014

Indiana cops mistakenly arrested an innocent woman because she happened to share the same first and last name, Ana Rodriguez, with a suspect facing an outstanding warrant. Despite the woman not having the same middle name, birthday, nor social security number, police imprisoned her for three days before she was able to post bond, then held the charges over her head for a year before they were thrown out.

The NWI Times reports:

The Lake and Newton county sheriff’s departments are being sued over locking up the wrong woman.

On Aug. 24, 2012, Ana L. Rodriguez of Fair Oaks went to Newton County Jail to pay bond for a friend. Upon arrival, sheriff’s police arrested her on an outstanding warrant, despite the warrant being issued for “Ana R. Rodriguez,” according to the civil rights lawsuit filed this week in U.S. District Court.

The lawsuit states Rodriguez was arrested despite having a different middle name, date of birth and Social Security number than the person on the arrest warrant.

Newton County held the woman for three days, then transferred her to Lake County Jail, where she was released later that day after posting bond.

Rodriguez continued to be charged on the warrant until it was dismissed May 15, 2013.

Under her false arrest claim, Rodriguez is seeking monetary relief for emotional damages and injuries suffered as a result of the actions of the two sheriff’s police departments, including compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and costs.

This clerical error could have been resolved with the most basic of research, yet they held the charges over her head for a year.