South Florida Teen Says Cop Told Her To Take Her Clothes Off
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A woman accused a Hialeah Police officer of taking her to a substation and asking her to take her clothes off.
CBS4 News and our partners at the Miami Herald both confirm the officer in question is the son of a former South Florida police chief.
CBS4's Oralia Ortega spoke with both the accuser and the officer's family.
A 17-year-old Hialeah girl who did not want to be identified wants a Hialeah police officer to be held accountable for what she says he did when he took her inside a police substation following a traffic stop.
"I'm terrified with the police department now," said the alleged victim. "He starts rubbing on his private part and tells me to get up."
The teen and her girlfriend said they were driving near a Hialeah police substation when they were pulled over by an officer after they made a U-turn.
CBS4 News and our media partners at El Nuevo Herald have identified that officer as Sgt. Jesus Menocal Jr., the son of former Sweetwater Police Chief Jesus Menocal, who retired last month.
According to the couple, Menocal Jr. told the 17-year-old to get in the back of the police car, drove her to the police substation and told her girlfriend to follow them and wait in the parking lot.
Once inside, he allegedly took her in a room and started asking her a number of private questions.
"He asked me if I was a virgin," said the alleged victim. "He asked me how I have intercourse with my girlfriend. I told him I don't know. Why? I don't think that's important."
But then she said something more terrifying happened.
"He told me to take off my pants or I was going to get arrested," said the alleged victim."He said let me see your behind. He looks at me up and down and asked me if I was on my menstrual. I told him yes. How did you know? And he said he was asking me a simple question."
After that, she said she put her shorts back and Menocal Jr. asked her to show him her tattoos.
"And he tells me to take off my shirt and my bra together," said the alleged victim. "I told him this is insane. This is unnecessary. I don't want to. I don't need to. I don't want to. He told me, 'Oh. I thought you wanted to have intercourse with me'."
After this, she said, he released her and she went outside to the parking lot where her worried girlfriend was waiting. The two immediately called in to report the alleged incident.
Ortega paid a visit to the home of Menocal's father. A woman who identified herself and Menocal Jr's grandmother came to her grandson's defense.
"He's an exceptional person. And as a police officer, he's officer of the month," said Migdalia Camejo. "This will all get cleared up."
The Hialeah Police Department made the following comment in regards to the allegations that read in part, "Very serious allegations were made, which require a methodical, detailed and thorough examination of all statements and evidence."
CBS4 News reached out to Hialeah police to find out what the status of the investigation and the officer's employment but have not heard back.
