SALEM — A Salem woman who allegedly called in a bomb threat to the Ruane Judicial Center last week will remain held at MCI Framingham without bail, a Salem District Court judge ordered on Friday.
Judge Matthew Machera said Adriana Rodriguez is "clearly a danger" to the public, and that her recent history of erratic and confrontational behavior give him no confidence she would follow any conditions he could have set for her release.
Police said Rodriguez, 39, of 86 Essex St., Salem, admitted to making the call, which was answered by a Superior Court probation department employee, last Wednesday morning.
But that admission came only after a "ridiculous" explanation she gave police, said prosecutor Erin Bellavia during Friday's dangerousness hearing.
Rodriguez, according to police, was identified through the cellphone number that popped up on the probation officer's caller ID — the number for a phone that belonged to her boyfriend's mother. Rodriguez and her boyfriend had borrowed the woman's phone because they were out of minutes on their own phones.
At first, Rodriguez told Salem police detectives that she had been speaking to a Housing Court specialist about her case on the phone when she was put on hold. While on hold, and engaged in conversation with her boyfriend's mother, she claimed she used the phrase "that's the bomb." Then, Rodriguez told detectives, she got nervous and hung up.
"That makes no sense," Bellavia said. Detectives were also skeptical. Rodriguez then began to cry, telling police one of her children had recently died, said the prosecutor.
When the officers, who didn't know that was not true, expressed sympathy, she finally admitted to making the call.
Bellavia called Rodriguez "a very manipulative person."
After deleting the call to the courthouse from her phone and returning it to her boyfriend's mother, the prosecutor said, Rodriguez walked to the courthouse on Federal Street, which had just been evacuated. The building remained closed for about 90 minutes while police investigated the threat.
"She wanted to see what she had done," said the prosecutor.
Rodriguez's lawyer, Thomas Glynn, disputed that, saying Rodriguez had a Housing Court hearing that day and, after arriving at the courthouse, heard that court would resume later in the morning.
Both Glynn and Bellavia pointed to Rodriguez's mental health issues.
Bellavia expressed concern about reports from the woman's family of recent "erratic" behavior, suggesting that would make her less likely to follow court orders if released. But she noted that a court psychologist who interviewed Rodriguez Thursday found that she understood right from wrong.
Glynn argued for the judge to release Rodriguez so she could return to a mental health program she had taken part in earlier this year.
Under Machera's order, Rodriguez will remain in custody while the case is pending. A status hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9.
Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, by email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter at @SNJulieManganis.
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