Court Briefs

Carlos Alberto Rodriguez, 23, agreed to plead no contest to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and providing a minor with an illegal substance. In return, multiple other felonies were dismissed.

He was scheduled to face a jury Aug. 9 on charges of statutory rape, committing a lewd act on a child and using a minor to sell cocaine and methamphetamine. If he'd been convicted, he faced about 13 years in prison. Rodriguez now returns to court Sept. 8 for a probation report and sentencing.

He was arrested after meeting a 15-year-old girl on the Internet and convincing her to become romantically involved with him. On multiple occasions, Rodriguez picked up the girl in the East Bay and drove her back to Foster City where he provided her with cocaine and had sex with her, according to Foster City police and the District Attorney's Office.

The relationship came to light after the girl sold cocaine and methamphetamine to her friends at Rodriguez's request. The girl's mother learned of the sales and her daughter told her about the involvement with Rodriguez.

Rodriguez remains in custody in lieu of $2 million bail.

Elder financial abuse trial starts

Trial began yesterday for a man who prosecutors say talked his way into the life of an elderly man and walked away with $1 million.

Ronald Brock, 53, reportedly befriended the 80-year-old victim in 1998 and convinced him to allow Brock to handle the coastside man's financial affairs. Over the next four years, Brock slowly stole $1 million from the victim's savings by talking the man into signing checks for false investments, according to authorities.

The case is the first in the county where the victim was swindled out of such a large amount.

The trial is estimated to last between two and three weeks. Brock remains free from custody on a $500,000 bail bond.

Re-trial for alleged child molester

The South San Francisco man convicted of one count of child molestation is readying for re-trial on the 36 other charges that a jury deadlocked over.

On June 11, The 25-year-old man, who is not being identified to protect the identity of his victim, was convicted of a lewd act on his 14-year-old step-daughter. The jury deliberated seven hours after a week-long trial to reach the decision. However, the jurors deadlocked over 16 other counts of child molestation, 17 counts of statutory rape, one count of sodomy and one count of sexual abuse by someone over 21 against somebody under 16.

Smith repeatedly molested the victim over the span of 17 months between January 2000 to May 6, 2001 after the family moved from Maryland to South San Francisco, according to the District Attorney's Office. The reported crimes began in Maryland.

Smith remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail.