Wanted sex offender, drug dealer, caught at Redding motel

REDDING — Authorities yesterday located and arrested a wanted Redding sex offender who last year failed to register and cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor. The man, who Redding PD described as “a significant risk to society,” was apprehended Friday, Feb. 1, at a Redding motel where officers located one and a half pounds of methamphetamine and 15 grams of heroin.

During their investigation, officials learned 48-year-old, Robert Michael Rodeski, was selling narcotics from his room at the Stardust Motel on Pine St., and “had been staying undetected in the Redding area for a lengthy period of time,” Redding Police Sgt. Danny Smetak said after yesterday’s arrest.

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Smetak explained that in 2009 Rodeski was sentenced to prison after being convicted of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age by force or fear. When Rodeski was released from prison and placed on state parole in April, 2018, he was required to register as a sex offender and wear a GPS ankle monitor at all times. 

“In late November of 2018, officers with the Redding Police Department Neighborhood Police Unit (NPU) learned that Rodeski had removed his GPS ankle monitor and his whereabouts were unknown,” said Smetak. He had also failed to register as a sex offender. “As a result, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued a warrant for his arrest for violating the conditions of his parole.”

Robert Rodeski was arrested after officials say he cut off his ankle monitor, failed to register as a sex offender, and was selling drugs from a Redding motel.

Because of the “significant risk to society” Rodeski presented, NPU officers began actively searching for him and worked in partnership with the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force to locate the wanted sex offender.

Based on leads and information developed by NPU officers and SINF agents during their investigation, on Jan. 31,  officials began a surveillance operation in an attempt to locate Rodeski. As a result of their surveillance, officials gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant for a room at the Stardust Motel.

When NPU and SINTF officials served the warrant just after 7:30 p.m. last night, “Rodeski surrendered to officers and was arrested without incident,” according to Smetak.

During a subsequent search of Rodeski’s motel room, officials located and seized “approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 grams of heroin, a digital gram scale and other evidence consistent with the possession for sale of controlled substances,” Smetak explained. 

NPU and SINF officials found Rodeski was in possession of 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 grams of heroin, a digital gram scale, and other items indicating he was dealing narcotics from the motel room where he was apprehended.

Rodeski later admitted to officers that he cut his GPS ankle monitor off and had been staying in the Redding area for a lengthy period of time.

He was eventually booked at the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of heroin for sale, maintaining a place for the purpose of unlawfully selling or giving away controlled substances, violating the terms of his sex offender registration status, and the parole warrant.

Anyone with additional information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 19R007054 and can remain anonymous.


Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.