PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is learning more details surrounding an arrest made yesterday of a man found in possession of firearms and knives in his car at Palm Beach International Airport.
WATCH LIVE: PBSO to give update on arrest at PBIA at 2 p.m.
According to the arrest report, an airport security employee contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Wednesday morning concerning a suspicious-looking man inside a vehicle at an employee-only restricted area.
When police arrived and made contact with the suspect, identified as Michael Rodrigues, 41, they questioned why he was in that area of the airport. Rodrigues pointed to a golf bag case, which he said he retrieved it from the trash. Police observed two throwing knives inside the golf bag.
When police asked for Rodrigues' ID, Rodrigues said he did not have one on hand and that the vehicle he was inside was a rental.
Rodrigues proceeded to reach for a black case sitting outside the car on the floor, saying that he believed his ID could be inside. Police noticed a large concealed knife inside the bag.
Police then asked Rodrigues for proof of the vehicle's registration or rental agreement. Rodrigues then gave police permission to search the vehicle to look for the papers.
When searching the car, police found a fully-loaded rifle magazine in the glove compartment, and a fully-loaded AR-15 rifle against the front passenger seat of the car that was wrapped in a blanket.
The arrest report described that Rodrigues was talking in an unorganized manner, that his pupils were very tight, and that he was changing his story on why he was at the airport. Rodrigues was not able to give police the name of the person he was meeting or any flight information.
Police obtained surveillance footage at the airport that showed the car Rodrigues was driving entered the airport at around 5 a.m. and gradually made its way around the car loop until stopping next to the restricted area until about 5:20 a.m., and proceeding to drive into the gated employee-restricted area.
At around 7 a.m., Rodrigues was seen exiting the vehicle and walking over to the dumpsters and then going back into the trunk of his car.
After police received a search warrant for Rodrigues' car, detectives found a bag that appeared to be cocaine.
Rodrigues, who has an extensive criminal history, faces a charge of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, trespassing at an operational area of an airport and possession of cocaine. He is being held on a $1,040,000 bond.
PBIA released the following statement regarding the quick-thinking employee who spotted Rodrigues and contacted security:
"This is an active investigation, so we cannot confirm their identity. We are very grateful that they followed security protocol and reported the suspicious individual. We train every employee who works at PBI, whether they are a contractor, tenant, airline employee or county staff, on security procedures and to be situationally aware. We are grateful that he took that training to heart and did the right thing."
