Thursday, February 12, 2009

Reporter denies Alex Rodriguez “stalking” accusations

As primo sports blog Deadspin observed, an overlooked feature of the whole Alex-Rodriguez-took-performance-enhancing-drugs brouhaha was his accusation against Illustrated Selena Roberts.

In his televised interview to ESPN on Monday, the star shortstop accused her of being “thrown out of his New York apartment building, kicked off the University of Miami campus by police, and (amazingly) that she tried to break into his house—where his children sleep!” (Roberts was the co-author of the SI story that broke on Saturday regarding his failed drug test).

Since then Roberts has emphatically denied his allegations. Rodriguez’ accusations were “absurd” she said in a Tuesday interview on Dan Patrick's radio show. On another radio interview she admitted that she and another reporter once drove past the ballplayer’s exclusive Miami-area residence but only after getting permission from security personnel. A police report was filed but only “as a matter of procedure” according to the Roberts.

Regarding perhaps the most damning accusation- that Roberts broke into Rodriguez’ house- Roberts reportedly found that charge “laughable”. "I'd have to be pretty good to scale a wall, climb up a balcony and go into his child's room," she said in an article on newsday.com. Furthermore, police officials in cities where Rodriguez has homes have denied that he ever reported Roberts’ supposed misdoings:
"I haven't been able to find anything to corroborate that she has tried to break into his home," Detective Juan Sanchez of the Miami Beach police said. "I haven't been able to find anything that corroborates the statement Alex Rodriguez made to ESPN"…

Other Florida law-enforcement agencies said they haven't received any reports from Rodriguez, either. "The Coral Gables Police Department has no incident reports associated with the name Selena Roberts," department records manager Eileen Holloway said in a statement.

Lt. William Gerlach of the University of Miami police said "I have nothing on that" when asked if Roberts had trespassed while Rodriguez was working out at the campus athletic center.
Rodriguez has already fibbed about not having used any performance enhancing drugs; is he lying again?

Image- AP (“In this video frame grab, Alex Rodriguez is interviewed by ESPN's Peter Gammons on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009.”)
Online Sources- Deadspin, Sporting News, newsday.com, New York Daily News, MLB.com, SI.com

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