Fresno Police Officer Arrested on Burglary, Terrorizing Charges After Madera County Incident

Fresno Police Officer Matthew Rodarte was arrested early Sunday morning and booked into Madera County Jail on charges of attempted burglary, threatening a crime with intent to terrorize, and disorderly conduct, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Rodarte, allegedly intoxicated, arrived at a home on Cathedral Court and Peters Road in the Riverstone Development and tried to get inside. Rodarte was at the wrong address but became upset when residents would not let him inside, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Rodarte has served as a Fresno Police officer since 2022 and was a police cadet from 2020 to 2022. The Fresno Police Department confirmed Rodarte has been placed on administrative leave.

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The Breakdown

• Madera County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Rodarte on three charges: attempted burglary, threatening a crime with intent to terrorize, and disorderly conduct.
• The incident occurred at a residence in the Riverstone Development in Madera County.
• Rodarte was allegedly intoxicated and attempting to enter the wrong house.
• He has been with Fresno Police since 2022 following two years as a cadet.

What This Means for You

This arrest raises direct questions about the Fresno Police Department’s hiring, training, and oversight — all areas voters control through the city officials who set department policy and budget. The City Council funds the police department and approves its leadership; the question now is how that department responds when an officer is arrested on criminal charges involving alleged violence against a resident. Whether administrative leave is followed by termination, what disciplinary process applies, and whether the department’s screening caught warning signs before this incident are all accountability measures shaped by the elected officials overseeing the department.

What to Watch

Criminal charges are allegations, not convictions — Rodarte is entitled to a defense. But the department’s internal response matters independently. Does “administrative leave” become termination if charges proceed, or does the officer remain on payroll through a drawn-out process? Did Rodarte’s hiring in 2022 follow the screening protocols the department claims to use, or did something slip through? Those answers will say more about the department’s actual accountability standards than any press statement will.