CBS4 Exclusive: Miami Beach Police Officer Relieved Of Duty Over Sexual Battery Allegations
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - A Miami Beach Police detective is relieved of duty with pay as several agencies investigate sexual battery allegations against him, CBS 4 News has learned.
The information is contained in a Pembroke Pines Police search warrant filed Tuesday as the agency investigates an alleged sexual battery that occurred within the city. The warrant also says that the officer under investigation -- Oldy Ochoa Jr. -- lives in Pembroke Pines. The search warrant says the allegations against Ochoa, described as a homicide detective, are coming from a 17-year-old girl that Ochoa met years ago while working on a case.
The warrant says "(the accuser) gave details pertaining to two separate incidents wherein she alleged that Ochoa sexually battered her."
According to the warrant one of the incidents occurred last month behind a Pembroke Pines strip mall while the pair were in Ochoa's unmarked Miami Beach Police car. The warrant says that car is now secured with police tape and is being stored in an evidence bay at the Pembroke Pines police department.
The accuser told investigators that "during the time of this incident, Ochoa was in his full 'class B' duty uniform in preparation of working an off-duty police detail at the Miami Boat Show."
The accuser told police that a second sexual battery occurred about a week later in an isolated, wooded area in Northwest Miami-Dade, again in Ochoa's police car. Following that incident, the underage girl told investigators that Ochoa allowed the girl to drive the car. The search warrant shows that police wanted to search Ochoa's police car for condoms, DNA and a towel that might contain DNA evidence. The search warrant says investigators took 6 DNA samples from the car and recovered a towel, although it's unknown if it's the towel detectives were looking for.
The report reveals that the underage girl met Ochoa several years ago while he was investigating a case she was involved in. "(The accuser) stated that both Ochoa and herself often were flirtatious with each other and communicated via email and facebook messenger in such manner. (The accuser) also stated that Ochoa would photograph her clothed body using his cellular device specifically targeting the skin area of her lower torso and other body parts while she posed."
The search warrant says that Internal Affairs at the Miami Beach Police Department is looking into the allegations and that the Department of Children and Families prepared an "abuse report" on the case. The warrant also says Ochoa himself reported the allegation to his IA Division after he learned of it.
CBS 4 News tried to reach Ochoa at an address listed for him and on the phone but we were unsuccessful. Ochoa does not face any criminal charges at this time.
The warrant says the 17 year old girl offered to take a polygraph examination to prove her allegations and "directed" investigators to the "location of both incidents without any hesitation." However the search warrant does say the teen has had trouble in the past. "(The accuser) has a lengthy criminal history which caused her to spend additional time throughout her childhood at the Miami Beach Police Department."
Miami Beach Police Ray Martinez told CBS 4 News in a statement that "we take these allegations very seriously. We are cooperating with the Pembroke Pines Police Department to make sure there is a thorough investigation."
