WEST DES MOINES — The city of West Des Moines has paid $450,000 to a man who spent more than 10 days in jail charged for a sex abuse crime he didn’t commit.
The city reached the settlement with Matthew Rodrigues in August. As part of the agreement, the city says Rodrigues was arrested “due to a case of mistaken identity.”
Police were called to a motel on April 29 after a woman reported being sexually assaulted in her room. Rodrigues says he was arrested simply for being at the motel and having darker skin, like the assailant.
Rodrigues was held in jail until May 9, when another man, Salvador Junior Pineda, was arrested and charged.
Pineda is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for the assault.