5 El Paso police officers arrested in sex assault, family violence and hit-and-run cases
The El Paso Police Department announced the arrests of five of its officers in connection with three separate cases, including a hit-and-run cover-up, domestic violence and a sexual assault five years ago.
The arrests follow investigations by the Special Traffic Investigations Unit into the hit-and-run and the Special Investigations Unit, which handles criminal inquiries involving law enforcement and government officials. Police announced the arrests Wednesday evening.
The officers were all off duty when the alleged crimes occurred, police said in news releases.
"The El Paso Police Department takes all misconduct allegations seriously and will work diligently to investigate all claims against its personnel. The department remains committed to upholding the highest standards ofprofessionalism and integrity in performing its duties," the department said in a statement.
Longtime El Paso police officer arrested in sexual assault case
Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit arrested Guadalupe Sosa on Friday, July 7, on allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman while off duty in April 2018.
During the investigation, detectives "obtained information to support the allegations of sexual assault" made by the woman against Sosa and obtained a warrant for his arrest, police said in a statement.
Sosa, who has been with the department for 15 years, was arrested Friday at El Paso Police Headquarters on a charge of sexual assault. He was booked via fast-track booking and released that same day on a $30,000 bond, according to an El Paso County Jail log.
Last month, Sosa was arrested on a charge of breach of computer security for allegedly looking up information on a police database last year on an ex-girlfriend and a man he had seen with her.
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Jail records show Sosa was arrested on June 17 and released on a $5,000 bond after being processed on fast-track booking in the computer breach case. Fast-track booking is a program in which a person who is arrested is processed into jail, pays bond and is released without having to spend time in jail.
The Police Department has begun the process to fire Sosa, who has been relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave for the remainder of the termination process, officials said.
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Police arrested Joshua Anthony Gallardo, who was off duty, after patrol officers responded to a call of a domestic-violence assault in progress early Sunday near Montwood High School in far East El Paso.
Gallardo and a woman had just left a bar when he allegedly began hitting and choking the woman at the intersection of Montwood and Firehouse drives, police said. Passersby stopped to help the woman and detained Gallardo until police arrived.
Officers took Gallardo into custody and notified the Special Investigations Unit.
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Gallardo was booked on a charge of assault family violence impeding breath, officials said. He was released on a $7,500 bond from the El Paso County Jail that same day.
Gallardo, who has been with the Police Department for nearly three years, has been placed on administrative duty.
A suspected hit-and-run, an alleged cover-up
Two officers were arrested last week after being accused of helping another off-duty officer leave after a hit-and-run when he crashed into a pair of parked cars four months ago.
Isaac Menchaca is accused of hitting two parked vehicles on March 5 in the 3600 block of East Yandell Drive near Concordia Cemetery in Central El Paso, officials said.
An investigation found that fellow officers Enrique David Mendoza and Aaron Poblano arrived after the crash and assisted Menchaca in leaving the scene, officials said. Mendoza and Poblano also were off duty at the time.
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The Special Traffic Investigations Unit investigated the hit-and-run crash leading to the arrest of Menchaca a month later on charges of "duty on striking an unattended vehicle" and accident involving damage.
Texas law requires a driver who hits an unattended vehicle to stop, find and give the vehicle's owner their name and address. If the owner of the unattended vehicle is not around, then the driver must leave a note with their name and address.
The El Paso District Attorney's Office reviewed the case and warrants were issued for Mendoza and Poblano, who were arrested July 6 on misdemeanor charges of interference with public duties, a police news release stated.
Menchaca is out of jail on a $2,000 bond on each charge. Poblano and Mendoza were each released on a $1,000 bond via fast-track booking, according to jail records.
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Menchaca has more than two years with the El Paso Police Department, Poblano has more than three years, and Mendoza has more than six years, officials said. All three have been placed on administrative duty.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso police officers arrested in misconduct, criminal cases
