San Diego, California Deputy Ricky Garcia Arrested Over Alleged Sexual Activity With Inmate at Las Colinas

A San Diego County sheriff's deputy was arrested on Tuesday, November 10, on suspicion of engaging in a sexual relationship with a woman held at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office said in a release.

Deputy Ricky Garcia, 37, was taken into custody and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on multiple charges under California Penal Code section 289.6(a), sexual activity with a person confined in a detention facility, the Sheriff's Office said. He was immediately placed on unpaid leave.

How the case surfaced

The investigation began after a Sheriff's employee brought forward concerns that inappropriate actions might be occurring between a deputy and an incarcerated person at Las Colinas, the Sheriff's Office said. The department's Sexual Assault Unit began investigating the allegations at once.

While the investigation ran, the deputy involved was placed on administrative assignment and removed from any responsibility for overseeing incarcerated persons, the release said. At the end of the investigation, the Sheriff's Office turned the case over to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office for prosecution, and a warrant was issued for the deputy's arrest.

The charges

A criminal complaint reviewed by ABC 10 News says Garcia allegedly engaged in sexual encounters with the woman during June and July of this year, and that he faces five felony counts. The Sheriff's Office has not released the woman's name, and Orbit Post is not naming her. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Garcia was hired by the Sheriff's Office on March 2, 2018, the department said. His most recent assignment was at the San Diego Central Jail. Las Colinas, in Santee, serves as the primary point of intake for incarcerated women in San Diego County.

What the sheriff said

"The allegations against Deputy Garcia are abhorrent and represent a violation of public trust," Sheriff Kelly Martinez said in the release. "People in the custody of the Sheriff's Office are among the most vulnerable and their rights must be protected. We will not tolerate criminal behavior in our ranks and will hold employees accountable for their actions."

The Sheriff's Office said the case appears at this time to be an isolated incident, and it directed further questions about the case to the District Attorney's Office.