Fox40 anchor steps down from station in light of theft charge

There's no denying Sabrina Rodriguez has gift. Colleagues and assistants describe her as having the unusual skill to fill the camera and mesmerize viewers. "She was one of the most popular faces on Fox40 until today, and possibly one of the most recognized faces in the Sacramento area," said Doug Elmets, a high-profile communications and disaster management specialist who understands Rodriguez. "I believe there are lots of folks that considered Sacramento was just a way station for a considerably more critical media market." But somewhere along the way something went really wrong, authorities say. Her career at KTXL-TV ended Tuesday with her resignation in the aftermath of felony counts charging her with being involved in a shoplifting scheme last year with her fianc, who was jailed on individual charges he burned down their south Sacramento residence in May while manufacturing hash oil from marijuana. The fianc, 30-year old Nicholas Gray, is being held in the Sacramento County jail without bond and is described in court documents as boasting of shoplifting up to $200,000 jordan retro 3.in clothing in a tw jordan 4 white cement.-month span. He's not entered a plea in the case. Court records suggest Gray, a marijuana dispensary worker, has a criminal history which includes convictions for burglary, resisting an officer and using force against a girl. Rodriguez, who is out of custody on $10,000 bond, has not commented publicly on her case, but issued a statement Tuesday day distancing herself from Gray. "The woman am now focusing on life decisions as I move forward with the support of family, friends, viewers and the community." The woman's attorney has denied the charges, and Rodriguez earlier declared her decision Tuesday to resign on her Twitter account and her Facebook page, where her profile photograph reveals her posing with two Emmy statues. "I'm heartbroken to say, I have chosen to resign my place at Fox40," Rodriguez wrote. "Given the recent media attention Rodriguez feel it was the best choice to make." She also has worked in Oregon and on the East Coast, and her rsum records prestigious journalism awards offering a 2012 Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting and a 2008 Associated Press investigative reporting award. The shoplifting allegations spilled into the open with the filing of charges Thursday against Rodriguez coming from a shopping excursion to the Folsom Outlets in March 2013. That event came three months after Rodriguez reported a Christmas Day narrative for the station on how simple one anonymous shoplifter located it to steal high end bags from area shops. That narrative has since been removed from the Fox40 website, but its text was reproduced on a site run by a former KTXL producer, thedesk.matthewkeys.net. Based on court documents, Rodriguez's legal problems stem from a March 26, 2013, shopping trip with Gray to the Coach store at the Folsom Outlets. Another shopper told a store employee KTXL saw Gray stuff several wallets into his bag and walk out without paying, and the employee called Folsom police, according to a case summary filed in Sacramento Superior Court. Employees ascertained 10 wallets worth $2,484 had been chosen, and surveillance video from the shop showed Rodriguez pick up a wallet and shake it at Gray, who then chose it and others and put it in his bag, court records state. "It seems that Rodriguez is choosing wallets and helping conceal the actions of Gray as he places them in his bag," a case outline filed in court states. Rodriguez was detained at the outlets but denied knowing anything about a thieving, court records state. Gray left the area in the employee's car before police arrived and refused to return when authorities asked Rodriguez to telephone him, based on court files. The investigation continued, and Gray later was arrested May 16, 10 days after a fire and explosion destroyed the couple's south Sacramento dwelling in a blaze that injured a firefighter. Court files indicate Gray set the house ablaze while fabricating hash oil, a concentrated fatty drug made from bud. Rodriguez would later say a fire at her house caused her to lose all her on air clothing and that colleagues and others donated clothing to help her. "A month ago, I lost everything in a house fire, including all my Emmys," Rodriguez told an interviewer at the awards presentation in June, where she was photographed holding her two latest Emmy awards. At the time of that gala, authorities already had been scouring a cellphone police seized upon Gray's arrest, and turned up several text messages between his phone and Rodriguez's phone. One series of messages happened on March 13, 2013, when Gray texted Rodriguez, "Outta Vacaville. So easy air jordan australia. Bcbg re ordered the store. So GRAY got 100 dlr purses," court records state. The records indicate the text message was sent on exactly the same day that employees at the BCBG store at the Vacaville outlets filed a police report on the larceny of five purses worth $640. Investigators also found photographs on the phone, including one of someone in a vehicle holding up a Nike shoe with the security tag still attached. "The shoe is next to Rodriguez's head while she is in the driver's seat of a Ford car," according to the documents, which add that Rodriguez drove Gray to San Francisco so he could sell the stolen merchandise. The records also state that investigators recovered audio files from Gray's phone discussing his drug use and other topics, including an April 10, 2013, file in which he discusses using a "Faraday cage," a bag used by shoplifters to thwart security detectors through the usage of foil linings. "During the file Gray boasts that he has stolen up to $200,000 worth of clothing within the last two months of the recording," the documents state. "Nicholas says that while going to San Francisco to get his methadone he steals from places like BCBG." Despite the evidence outlined in court records, Rodriguez still has many assistants, including spectators who were posting messages on her Facebook page Tuesday. "The other local stations have previously pegged you as guilty and are posting the stories in such a manner as to form a lynch mob against you," one wrote. "I pray all of your problems will be resolved quickly," another wrote. "I want to see you on TV again shortly." Despite the gravity of the legal challenge, Elmets says he believes that may occur. "It is going to take a while," said Elmets, a veteran of the Reagan White House who is volunteering his expertise to help Rodriguez. "She hasn't been convicted of anything. These are just accusations and she will have an opportunity to reestablish her reputation and her career."