Miami-Dade Police Lieutenant Arrested, Charged With Molesting A Minor
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade police lieutenant has been arrested, and the charges are quite disturbing.
Braulio Gonzalez, 44, was taken into custody on Thursday over allegations that he molested an underage girl.
"Today, as a result of an ongoing investigation, detectives from our Special Victims Bureau arrested a member of our agency," Miami-Dade Police director Juan Perez said in a statement. "To say that I am shocked and disturbed at these serious allegations is an understatement. As I have said before, no one is above the law and I offer the victim in the case, my assurance of our commitment to a thorough investigation."
The victim, who is now 15 years old, told a psychologist that Gonzalez repeatedly fondled her when she was between the ages of 8 and 10 years old.
Following the filing of a complaint with the Florida Department of Children and Families, the victim told an interviewer from the agency that the first time Gonzalez fondled her, he also pointed a gun at her head and threatened to kill her family members if she did not comply.
Gonzalez has been charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12, as well as armed kidnapping of a child under the age of 13.
If convicted, each charge carries with it the possibility of life in prison.
Gonzalez is the fourth Miami-Dade police officer in trouble over the last month.
On August 14th, Lieutenant Alexander Diaz de Villegas was accused of filing false home insurance claims.
August 21st saw Maimi-Dade officer Gustavo de los Rios charged because he kicked a suspect who was handcuffed and on the ground.
Then on September 5th the FBI arrested Ebony Nesbitt, who was busted for receiving fraudulently obtained IRS refunds.
