By Lauren Zaren
A woman was interrupted while making dinner by screams and threats from her next-door neighbor.
On the evening of Nov. 17, 2019, a Woodland resident was making dinner when she heard a loud bang outside her house. When she looked out the window she saw her neighbor, John Martinez Rodriguez, standing in her driveway near her car. He allegedly began to yell, “I’m gonna kill you, b****” and also made direct death threats using her name.
The alleged victim closed the curtain and immediately reported the incident to the Woodland Police Department. She was unsure how much longer he remained outside her residence but was “scared to 
death” that he would attempt to carry out his threats.
This was not the first interaction between these neighbors. The alleged victim testified that Rodriguez seemed “off” and believed he may be mentally ill. Two weeks before, the defendant had pushed himself into her home and attempted to kidnap her grandchildren, who live with her. This past event lent credibility to the possibility that Rodriguez would attempt to enter her house a second time and harm her.
During the preliminary hearing, Officer Joseph Nott testified that when he questioned the defendant, Rodriguez claimed that he had not been over at a neighbor’s house or involved in any sort of disturbance around the area.
John Rodriguez will be held to answer on two charges, a felony charge of threats to commit a crime resulting in death or great bodily injury, and a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court.
An arraignment will be held on December 20 at 10 am.
