LAPD arrests suspect in North Hollywood gym-goer sexual assault

A woman was assaulted on the bridge at Laurel Grove Avenue and Valleyheart Drive in North Hollywood on the night of July 19 while returning from a gym. The attacker grabbed her by the hair, forced her to the ground and used a foreign object during the assault before witnesses intervened and he escaped. Police canvassed roughly 50 nearby businesses for video and issued a community alert on July 29, which generated leads that identified 27-year-old Rodrigo Melgar.

LAPD officers executed a search warrant on Burbank Boulevard near Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the following Monday, taking Melgar into custody on suspicion of sexual penetration with a foreign object. Detectives say the suspect may have additional victims or witnesses and that he primarily traveled by local bus routes. LAPD Lieutenant Monique Valenzuela praised the collaborative effort of detectives, media and community in securing the arrest.