A Dallas, Texas, man wanted for felony parole violation was taken into custody late Saturday night at a Ruston restaurant.
Ruston Police were called to the Gonzalez Mexican Restaurant at 1516 N. Trenton regarding a man who had entered an employee’s parked car and was smoking marijuana.
Officers found a man who said he “accidentally” entered the vehicle because “he was scared for his girlfriend’s safety,” according to an arrest affidavit. The man, who said his name was Ridribego Valentine, said the girlfriend was in danger from an unknown person regarding money.
A records check failed to locate the name given by the man. After additional questioning, the man said his name as Rodrigo Valentin. A search yielded marijuana in his pants pocket.
The reported girlfriend was called, and she gave the man’s correct date of birth and explained she was not in danger.
The man was identified as Rodrigo Valenti, 35. Texas authorities confirmed he was wanted for parole violation, and they wished to extradite him.
Valenti was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana, criminal mischief, and the Texas warrant.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
