Sex offender living unregistered in Waltham arrested, released on personal recognizance

Frank Costa, 36, formerly of New Bedford, pleaded guilty on Feb. 18 to two counts of failing to register as a sex offender after living in Waltham for a month.

On Feb. 17 police responded to a residence on Dermody Road. A man had called the police after stating that the woman living there, identified as Ashley Hicks, had called him and said that her boyfriend was refusing to leave after being asked repeatedly. Upon arrival, police located Costa sitting on the couch. 

Hicks told police that Costa had been arguing with her all day and had been living at her apartment for a month. Costa confirmed this, stating that he was originally from New Bedford and was refusing to leave the house because there were no buses back to New Bedford that night. He also stated that he was receiving mail at her address.

When police ran Costa through the Criminal Justice Information Services database, they found that he had an active warrant out of New Bedford for failing to register as a sex offender. This, combined with the fact that he had not registered at his new Waltham address, led to Costa being arrested and charged with two counts of failing to register as a sex offender.

When asked, Hicks disclosed that she had a firearm in the house that was properly secured. She also shared that she was in the process of applying for a Massachusetts License to Carry after moving to Waltham from Rhode Island in 2025. Hicks received a summons for possessing a firearm without a license and possessing ammunition without a license. 

The responding officer also filed a child abuse or neglect form with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families due to suspected neglect or abuse of a child living with Hicks and Costa.

Judge Ellen M. Caulo released Costa on personal recognizance, meaning that Costa submitted a written promise to appear in court when asked in lieu of posting bail. A pretrial hearing for Costa is scheduled for April 9.

Additional court actions

Estime Wensnoldjy, 27, of Waltham, pleaded not guilty to one count of subsequent assault and battery on a family or household member. Wensnoldjy was arrested after a physical altercation in which he was deemed to be the aggressor. Wensnoldjy was released on personal recognizance on Feb. 17, and a pretrial hearing for his case will be held on March 17.

Luis Rodriguez, 59, of Waltham, pleaded not guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. Rodriguez failed to complete the annual registration required of sex offenders in Massachusetts after previously registering at an address in Waltham last July. The Fall River Police Department had previously issued an arrest warrant for Rodriguez for the same charge. Rodriguez was released on personal recognizance on March 2, and a pretrial hearing for his case is set for April 8.

All information for this story was gathered from court proceedings and official court documents at Waltham District Court and case information from masscourts.org.