Prints Lead to Prisoner’s Confession to Car Theft

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LIMA – A maximun-risk Rochester sex offender allegedly gave a full confession after an interview examining his connection to a May 2014 car theft, which led to his being charged with more felonies from prison while he serves a sentence for a Sex Offender Registry (SORA) violation.

According to a press release from Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty, Rene Gonzalez Jr., 25, gave a full confession to the car theft when interviewed by Sheriff’s Office Investigator Bradley Schneider in January 2015, leading to his indictment by Grand Jury and his arrest from prison on Thursday, almost a year after the theft.

On May 6, 2014, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the theft of a 2014 Honda Civic from the driveway at 1715 Parkside Place in the Village of Lima. The vehicle was recovered later that same day in the Town of Lima with damage to the front end. The Sheriff’s Office Forensic Identification Unit responded and was able to lift fingerprints from the vehicle, and after analysis at the Monroe County Crime Lab were found to match those of  Gonzalez.

A collaborative effort between the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department and the Livingston and Monroe County District Attorney’s Office’s led to Gonzalez being located many months later.

Gonzalez was arrested April 16 on the warrant and remanded back to prison with new Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Criminal Mischief in the Third degree, charges, both class E felonies.

Handling the investigation for the Sheriff’s Office was Investigator Bradley Schneider from the Criminal Investigations Division, Deputy David Richardson and Deputy Caleb Cutting from the Sheriff’s Office Forensic Identification Unit (FIU).

 PHOTO CAPTION: Rene Gonzalez. (Photo/DOCS)