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MCSO: Man arrested after luring girls to SUV with money, new phones

NewsMCSO: Man arrested after luring girls to SUV with money, new phones

MARTIN COUNTY ― A man reportedly lured pre-teen and teenage girls to stay in his SUV with promises of money and phones near Indiantown Middle School, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Marcos Rodas-Marcos, 35, of Indiantown, was charged with interference of child custody, which is a felony within the Florida statute for kidnapping and false imprisonment.

What Happened: Rodas-Marcos drove near Indiantown Middle School and offered rides to girls walking toward the school, said Chief Deputy John Budensiek.

Budensiek said the girls he offered rides to are 12 to14 years old.

Rodas-Marcos lured two of the girls into his SUV this week, one last week and another last year.

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Offerings to stay in SUV: Rodas-Marcos offered phones and money to girls once they got in his SUV to stay with him and talk, Budensiek said.

With one of the girls, Rodas-Marcos asked her if she had money to give him for the ride.

The girl said no she didn’t have anything for him, to which he responded “you have something that you can give,” according to investigators.

” … I know we’re all thinking ‘was this a sexual thing?’ There was never an overt conversation about that,” Budensiek said. “But the inference was alluded to in that conversation.”

All the girls hopped out of the SUV after feeling uncomfortable around him, Budensiek said.

The defendant: Rodas-Marcos is being held without bond at Martin County Jail.

He is a Guatemalan national living in Indiantown on a work visa, Budensiek said.

Coming forward: Sheriff’s investigators believe there may be more girls he lured into his SUV.

The chief deputy said he understands some parents may be hesitant to come forward if their child was solicited or involved with Rodas-Marcos because of their immigration status.

“And we do understand that a lot of these individuals, these victim’s parents are potentially illegal migrants,” Budensiek said. “But … we’re not Immigration and Customs Enforcement, we’re the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and we want them to come forward and not be afraid of us and let us do our job to make sure something more nefarious didn’t happen with Mr. Marcos.”

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