Two Albuquerque firefighters accused of sexual assault are fired

Two Albuquerque firefighters accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an apartment complex have been dismissed, department officials said Friday.

Aden Heyman, 46, and Angel Portillo, 32, were fired by Albuquerque Fire Rescue after an investigation into the July 15 alleged incident determined they had violated department policies, Chief Emily Jaramillo said in a statement.

“We have a zero tolerance for unethical behavior,” Jaramillo said.

Former firefighter Anthony Martin, 44, who officials said was also involved in the alleged sexual assault, retired from the department with benefits after the three were placed on leave.

Heyman, Portillo and Martin were each charged with second-degree criminal sexual penetration by the District Attorney’s office in Albuquerque, following the investigation by the Albuquerque Police Department. The men were off duty when the assault occurred, officials said.

The district attorney’s office declined to comment Friday, and the police department did respond to requests.

On the day of the incident, the woman invited two of the firefighters, whom she met through a sibling who works for Albuquerque Fire Rescue, to a golfing event where they were drinking, NBC affiliate KOB in Albuquerque reported.

They later went to the apartment of one of the firefighters, and the third man joined them there, the station reported.

The woman told officers she had consensual sex with one of the men before she was sexually assaulted by all three of them, the station reported.

She told officers that one of the firefighters was “coaching” the other two about “how to rape,” KOB reported, and said she escaped by climbing out of a bathroom window.

Portillo's attorney, Heather LeBlanc, said Friday that the allegations against him are false.

“Mr. Portillo adamantly maintains his innocence," LeBlanc said. "He’s been a respected firefighter for a number of years and dedicated his life to helping others.

“We are fully aware of the gravity of these charges, and he fully cooperated with law enforcement in their investigation.”

Martin's attorney, Ben Ortega, denied the allegations against his client.

“Anthony has to clear his name and prove his innocence, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Ortega said.

Heyman and his lawyer, Jason Bowles, could not be reached Friday.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com