SDPD officer accused in sexual assaults fired

BY PAULINE REPARD, UNION-TRIBUNE

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED APRIL 15, 2011 AT 11:25 A.M., UPDATED APRIL 15, 2011 AT 12:49 P.M.

SAN DIEGO — A San Diego police officer facing charges that he sexually assaulted five women during traffic stops has been fired, the department said Friday.

Anthony Arevalos/SDPD photo

Anthony Arevalos, 40, an 18-year department veteran, was terminated Thursday after an internal investigation into the allegations, Police Chief William Lansdowne said.

“Our internal investigation can result in punishments ranging from a written reprimand to termination, and in this case, it was termination,” Lansdowne said in an interview Friday morning.

Arevalos still faces 18 felony counts of sexual battery and assault under color of authority, and bribery, involving five women in incidents going back to September 2009.

The District Attorney’s Office alleges the officer stopped the women for traffic violations, then offered to not issue a ticket if they would engage in sexual activity with him. One woman alleged he fondled her crotch in a 7-Eleven store bathroom and asked her to give him her underwear.

Arevalos was arrested on March 11 and is out of jail on $200,000 bond.

Four other San Diego police officers have been accused of criminal conduct in recent months. They are:

• Art Perea, 42, who resigned March 4 amid an El Cajon police investigation into a college student’s allegations he raped her at an El Cajon home. No charges have been filed. Police said they are awaiting lab results on forensic evidence and then will decide whether to send the case to the District Attorney’s Office for review.

• Officer Roel Tungcab, 39, was arrested March 24 by sheriff’s deputies investigating domestic violence at his home in Imperial Beach. Tungcab is free on bail and continues to work on paid administrative duty. No charges have been filed. A case alleging domestic battery on his wife has been submitted to the DA’s office for review.

• Officer David Hall is under investigation for alleged hit-and-run and driving under the influence, off-duty, on Feb. 22 in San Diego. No charges have been filed. He is on paid administrative duty while the DA’s office reviews the case.

• Sgt. Kenneth Davis, 47, was charged Feb. 10 with one count of stalking and three counts of making harassing phone calls to a female San Diego police officer. He is on paid administrative duty and an internal department investigation continues.

What's going on with police officers engaging in such hideous behavior where they only bring shame upon themselves and their families. Are we the local residents to distrust the men and women in blue who protect our neighborhoods? The above group decided going beyond the long arm of the law was a wise decision at the time it was made. There was even another off duty police officer involved in a auto accident due to being drunk behind the wheel a few short weeks ago.

"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time"- Robert Blake in Baretta I hope these foolish officers will be punished to the full extent of the law and be a stern reminder to other officers possibly considering such foolish actions.