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WILKES-BARRE — Robert Rodriguez allegedly bragged about shooting a tattoo artist in the stomach for “(expletive)-ing up” his ink, causing an infection and scars.
That boast, detailed in an affidavit unsealed Friday, was the latest grisly revelation about an alleged spree of violence by Rodriguez, 33, of Plymouth, who also stands accused of shooting two people — one fatally — during a Feb. 7 robbery at 77 Hutson St. in the city.
The newly unsealed court documents describe what investigators say happened the previous week, when Rodriguez confronted tattoo artist Lamont Garcia outside Sharp Cuts 2 barbershop, 133 Parrish St., on the evening of Feb. 2.
Garcia told investigators Rodriguez paid him $70 about three weeks earlier for a small wrist tattoo similar to the pyramid and eye motif used on the $1 bill. A week or so later, however, Rodriguez called the artist to say the tattoo had become infected, and he was going to the hospital.
Garcia’s next encounter with his disgruntled customer was outside the barbershop Feb. 2, when he emerged to find Rodriguez approaching him and swearing about his ruined tattoo, according to the affidavit.
“I should kill you,” Rodriguez allegedly said. He then pulled a pistol from his waistband and shot Garcia in the stomach. Rodriguez then fled in a tan sedan driven by a female, police said.
Police reported this week that Garcia was recovering from his wounds.
Witnesses later told police Rodriguez, whom they knew as “JJ,” displayed a long-barrelled pistol and bragged “that’s where I shot that (racial slur) because of the scabs he put on me,” the affidavit states.
Rodriguez was arrested in connection with the Parrish Street shooting on Monday night, Feb. 12, during a traffic stop on West End Road in Hanover Township.
Further investigation led to Rodriguez being charged in connection with the Feb. 7 Hutson Street shootings that led to the death of Trevor Oliver, 41, and left Oliver’s girlfriend, Ingrid Vanessa Batista, 39, seriously injured.
Investigators believe the motive for the shootings was robbery, as Rodriguez allegedly told others he robbed Batista and Oliver of money and drugs.
Rodriguez was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Rick Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre on aggravated assault and simple assault charges in connection with Garcia’s shooting.
Rodriguez and a co-defendant, Isaiah Tyrone Jennings, 19, of Wilkes-Barre, face charges of criminal homicide, criminal attempt to commit homicide and criminal conspiracy to commit homicide in the Hutson Street case. They were arraigned Thursday by Cronauer and committed to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail.
Investigators requested their arrest warrant against Rodriguez in the Parrish Street case be sealed because release of information in the document could endanger witnesses and hinder their investigation while they were still looking for Rodriguez, who was being sought in connection with both cases.
Under a change to Pennsylvania’s criminal code, enacted in 2014, prosecutors can request a county judge to keep arrest warrants sealed for up to 60 days if they demonstrate “good cause.”
County Judge Michael T. Vough authorized sealing the documents in an order signed Feb. 9. They were unsealed seven days later, after Rodriguez was behind bars and had been arraigned in both cases.