Prosecutors charge son after dropping same case against dad

Several weeks after prosecutors dropped burglary charges against an Idaho man, they’ve refiled the same case against his son.

The Idaho Press reports Ada County prosecutors have charged 25-year-old Mario Rodriguez of Boise with several felonies because they say he stole thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment from an auto parts store.

Earlier this year, prosecutors accused 48-year-old Mario Rodriguez – the younger man’s father – of the same crime. The elder Rodriguez was arrested in March, jailed and held on a $75,000 bond until he was able to make a payment and be released.

Prosecutors filed a motion on April 26 to drop the charges against the father, telling the judge it was “in the interest of justice.”

The younger Rodriguez has not yet entered a plea, and his attorney said he had not yet received evidence in the case from prosecutors. A hearing is scheduled for June 13.