CHANDLER - A Phoenix Police officer has been accused of sexually assaulting three women in Chandler. He turned himself in and was interviewed on Tuesday.
Wednesday, Chandler police confirm that Ricardo Orosco was arrested. At first Chandler police say they interviewed that officer and let him go. Now they're saying they technically arrested him.
They fingerprinted him, took a mug shot, and released him to his attorney.
Phoenix Police Officer Rick Orosco has been accused of sexually assaulting three different women in Chandler within the last six months.
Chandler police say they arrested him but didn't take him to jail -- instead releasing him to his attorney.
A police spokesperson said: "The public is now aware of who he is and what he has been accused of and he is not a flight risk, there is not a need to book.”
Chandler police saying it's not uncommon for them to refrain from booking someone into jail when they know where to find them and they have been cooperative with investigators.
Phoenix police put Orosco on paid leave last Thursday.
Officials confirm that on Thursday they launched their own criminal and internal investigation into whether Orosco harassed or stalked a female employee working in the South Mountain Precinct – unrelated to the sexual assault allegations.
“Certainly it was serious enough that we put him on leave at his home, assigned to his home so certainly we’re not taking this allegation lightly,” says Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump.
Two years ago, Orosco was arrested after allegedly assaulting a girlfriend while off-duty. She told police he beat her after she refused to have sex with him.
The county attorney's office dropped the case, saying they didn't feel there was enough evidence to prosecute.
“There was a turn down, because of statements made by the victims that involved text messages where she stated she had lied about the allegations,” says County Attorney Bill Montgomery.
Orosco has been a Phoenix police officer for the past five years.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/investigative/police-officer-arrested-released-to-attorney-3-7-2012
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