Predator or Prey?

For James Rodriguez, the only way to freedom was to confess to sex crimes he � and one of his alleged victims � says he did not commit.

A A A Comments (0) By Ben Ehrenreich Thursday, Aug 19 2004

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On June 17, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department posted a photo of James Rodriguez on the “High Risk Sex Offender” page of its Web site. Residents on the reservation were sufficiently alarmed that the tribal council called Rodriguez in to account for himself. “It’s kind of an iffy situation,” Rodriguez says. He is talking to lawyers, hoping to soon begin the legal battle to clear his record, and sue the county, and perhaps the state. In the meantime, he has found a job — not a good one, but a job, building pallets for $8 an hour. And he has become romantically involved with Elizabeth Thompson, his former psychologist. “I always knew I had feelings for her, but I didn’t think it was appropriate given the situation I was in,” he says. After he got out, though, “It just blossomed.”

Their relationship has become something of a scandal up at Atascadero, Thompson says. Few of her former colleagues will speak to her, and she will likely lose her license to practice psychology, but, she says, “I had to follow my heart.”

“It’s a love story,” she laughs. “Now you have a good ending.”

Also on June 17, Henry learned that Randy would be allowed to leave the group home and, after fully 20 years apart, live with him and Nancy. He has already moved in.

The day after I saw Henry and Eddie in Perris, Eddie had a court date in San Bernardino. He never made it. Sheriff’s deputies arrived that day and arrested him at his father’s house. When Henry and I last spoke, he had not heard from Eddie since.