An off-duty cop from East Elmhurst was arrested Tuesday evening and booked at the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights in connection to a domestic violence investigation.
NYPD Officer Estarlin Rodriguez, 30, of 97th Street, was arraigned Wednesday in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with two counts of strangulation, menacing and harassment in two incidents at his home.
According to the criminal complaint, during the early morning hours of Monday, Apr. 1, Rodriguez was engaged in a dispute with a woman and at some point between 3:30 and 3:45 a.m., he allegedly put his arm around the woman’s neck and squeezed, causing her to have difficulty breathing and dizziness. It happened again during the morning of Friday, Apr. 26, during an argument at around 2 a.m., when Rodriguez allegedly put his arm around the woman’s neck and squeezed, causing her to have difficulty breathing. She sustained bruising and redness to her neck in both attacks and had difficulty eating solid food, as well as substantial pain, annoyance and alarm, according to the complaint.
Rodriguez is assigned to the 49th Precinct in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, where he has worked since 2022. He joined the NYPD in 2020 and has no disciplinary history.
The name of the victim was redacted in the criminal complaint, and an NYPD spokeswoman was unable to provide details on the relationship between the victim and Rodriguez. The spokeswoman also could not confirm whether Rodriguez has been suspended, as the NYPD is still investigating the case.
He was released following his arraignment Wednesday and ordered to return to court on June 21.
