Politics & Government

Menlo Park Rat Collector In Court Again

This time, Robert P. Hollywood was found in Redwood City with methamphetamine.

When Redwood City Police arrived at Robert P. Hollywood’s home on Rolison Road, they found a man who said he was on probation. But he wasn’t.

The now 56-year-old man proceeded to consent to a search of his home, according to public records of the incident.

Inside, police found .08 grams of methamphetamine and some marijuana, according to public records provided to Patch by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office.

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Hollywood is now charged with a felony-grade offense of being under the influence of a controlled substance for which he did not have a prescription. If convicted, he could be sentenced to three years of probation and or sent to a rehabilitation program.

However, his situation is complicated by previous offenses. 

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Mr. Hollywood became locally infamous in 2004 for collecting 220 rodents at his home in Menlo Park. Some of them were alive; some of them were dead. 

“In my 36 years of working in San Mateo County, this is the only animal cruelty case involving rats,” said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County District Attorney.  “We haven’t had another case like it since,” he said.

Hollywood was convicted of animal cruelty, in part, because some of the animal carcasses were found in his refrigerator and in his kitchen’s garbage disposal.  

According to the DA, this case is Proposition 36 eligible, which means Hollywould wouldn’t do time; he’d be sentenced to rehab. However, there’s no money for rehabilitation programs coming from the state, said Wagstaffe.

“He would probably go on probation for three years and be subject to searches and seizures,” Wagstaffe said. 

The courts will determine what course of action to pursue during his jury trial, which is set for May 13. 

Mr. Hollywood’s defense attorney Ross Green did not return calls by the time of this article’s publication. We welcome his perspective on the matter.

What’s yours?  Tell us in the comments.


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