Lower Salford Police Photo by James Short.
Officers said the Allentown man became combative after police tried to tow a scooter from the grounds of the Souderton Area School District school on Maple Avenue
An Allentown man is facing multiple charges after Lower Salford Township Police said he became combative and assaulted officers who found him sleeping under a tarp on the basketball court at Indian Valley Middle School.
Angel Vega Rodriguez, 30, of the 300 block of Hamilton Street, was charged Oct. 26 with aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, and drug possession, and summary public drunkenness.
Police were dispatched around 12:13 p.m. Oct. 26 to the Maple Avenue school for a report of a suspicious tarp near a Vespa-style scooter on the basketball court. When officers arrived, they said they found a “body-like figure and two sneakers” under the tarp and discovered Rodriguez asleep, according to the complaint.
Police said Rodriguez appeared confused, unsteady, and was slurring his speech. He told officers “today was a special day” and that he had received a message to come to the location.
He said he was from Allentown but transient and had no fixed address, police said.
Rodriguez reportedly told police he had been using the scooter with permission from a friend named “Barber,” though registration records showed it was owned by another person in Allentown. When officers told Rodriguez the vehicle would be towed, he allegedly became argumentative and made threats toward police and the tow truck driver.
Police said Rodriguez continued to yell and approach the tow truck despite repeated commands to stay back. After the scooter was loaded, officers said he again tried to interfere and took a “fighting stance,” shoving an officer in the chest before being taken to the ground and handcuffed.
During a search incident to arrest, police reported finding a yellow plastic capsule containing a white powdery substance in Rodriguez’s pocket, according to the complaint. The powder was not tested due to concerns over potential fentanyl exposure, per the Montgomery County District Attorney’s order, the complaint said.
Two officers suffered scratches and abrasions to their arms and knees during the altercation, according to the affidavit.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
