Remember that ‘home invasion’ Wednesday that temporarily put Satilla Elementary School on lockdown status and sent numerous sheriff’s deputies on a hunt for suspects? Turns out it was all a big lie.
Sheriff’s officials stated that officers were dispatched to 758 Sidney H. Adams Road Wednesday morning in reference to a robbery in progress. When they arrived, deputies made contact with a female victim, identified as Alina Rodriquez, who stated someone knocked on her door and, when she went to open it, a black male hit her in the face with a closed fist.
She stated the black male, along with a Hispanic male, ran into her house and started destroying her property. She added she was able to get her child and leave the residence through the front door and go to a neighbor’s house for help.
Deputies on scene advised all other responding units of the description of the two male subjects and their direction of travel. Once other units arrived in the area, a perimeter was established and a search was conducted.
Authorities were able to locate Kawon Deshay Rowels and Ismael Gasper in a wooded area just east of the incident location. Deputies also made contact with a Hispanic female, Daysie Candy Zepeda, back at the residence, who was believed to be involved in the incident.
All three suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and that’s when officials say things started to take an unprecedented twist.
While detectives were interviewing Ms. Zepeda, she began to tell investigators the whole invasion was staged. She went on to state that the victim asked her to help plot a robbery of her home so that she could become a victim of a serious crime and apply for a U Visa.
Detectives also interviewed Ismael Gasper and Kawon Rowels for their involvement, and they both gave similar explanations of the events that took place.
Detectives later went back to the location of the reported home invasion and made contact with Alina Rodriquez, the alleged victim, and transported her to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office to continue the investigation.
During that interview, Rodriquez admitted to staging the event.
As a result of the reported home invasion, all four individuals involved were arrested and charged with false report of a crime and are being held in the Coffee County Jail awaiting a bond hearing.
Victims of certain crimes committed inside the United States, who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity, may qualify to apply for U nonimmigrant status. This applies to victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, felonious assault, human trafficking, false imprisonment and other similar crimes.
If a person is granted U status, they receive work authorization for four years. After three years of continuous presence in the U.S. in U status, the foreign national may be eligible to apply for Adjustment of Status and receive a green card. Five years after the green card is granted, naturalization may be a possibility.