Stanislaus deputy faces reduced domestic violence charge; alleged victim recants statement

A Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputy who was booked into jail on multiple felony charges related to a domestic disturbance last fall has been charged with one misdemeanor crime, and the alleged victim in the case has recanted her statement to investigators.

The charge against Chad Kewen Lewis stems from an Oct. 1 incident at a Roseville hotel. Officers responded there around 2:30 a.m. and found a woman with visible injuries, who was taken to a hospital.

Roseville police booked Lewis into the Placer County Jail on suspicion of charges including inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, and mayhem.

But Lewis was charged by the Placer County District Attorney’s Office with one misdemeanor count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, according to the complaint.

The Modesto Bee has had a policy of withholding the names of victims of domestic violence unless they want them known. The alleged victim in this case agreed to be identified by her first name and said she is not a victim at all. She said she lied to investigators to protect herself.

The woman, Mady, said she was arrested in Stanislaus County two weeks before the Roseville incident for allegedly punching Lewis. Charges never were filed against her but Lewis obtained a temporary restraining order, according to court records.

She said Lewis dropped the restraining order and the two were trying to work out their relationship when they went to the Roseville hotel to have a weekend alone together. The two share a 1-year-old son and the woman also has a 5-year-old daughter from another relationship.

She told The Bee she was the aggressor that night but told police Lewis hit her. She did so because she was afraid of being arrested again, she said, and of losing custody of her daughter, whose father is trying to get full custody.

She said she inflicted the injuries on herself by closing the bathroom door on her head.

Mady said she told this to the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, which charged Lewis anyway. She said she also read a statement in court during Lewis’ arraignment Monday in which she said she lied to police, but the judge proceeded with the arraignment.

She claims that the DA’s office’s motives are political and that prosecutors are trying to ruin Lewis’ career in law enforcement.

Placer County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Lisa Botwinik said her office does not comment on specific cases but added, “Generally speaking, in domestic violence cases, it is not uncommon for the victim to recant or give a different version of what happened during the incident.

“When that happens, we review the victim’s current statement along with the other evidence. That may include 911 calls, initial statements made to law enforcement, photographs, extent of injuries or lack thereof, medical records, or other witness statements. Each case is unique. We review the totality of the evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges.”

Mady acknowledged in her statement, shared with The Bee, that she knows victims of domestic violence will lie to protect their abusers. But she insists that is not what she is doing.

“This wasn’t about justice — politics and biased views had reared their ugly head,” she said in her statement.

She claims an official with the DA’s office told her “that although they are aware this is a ‘career-ending charge,’ Chad not being a cop anymore would be a ‘blessing in disguise.’”

Lewis, a seven-year veteran of the department, has been on paid administrative leave since his arrest. His employment is pending the outcome of an ongoing internal affairs investigation, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.

He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Monday and will return to court Tuesday for another hearing. His attorney did not return a call from The Bee seeking comment.

Botwinik did not give specifics on what might happen at the Tuesday hearing but said court appearances following the arraignment are usually early status conferences, during which the parties exchange discovery and information to determine if the case can be resolved. If the case is not resolved, it will be set for trial, she said.

Lewis remains out of custody after posting bond on a $250,000 bail, according to court records