Friday, January 09, 2009

Officer Duhamel Torres Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman While on Duty


A Cleveland police officer is accused of sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty.

Duhamel Torres, a 2nd District patrolman, faces kidnapping, rape and sexual battery charges, said Lt. Thomas Stacho, a police spokesman. Torres surrendered Thursday morning after investigators obtained an arrest warrant.

Stacho gave this description of the incident:

The woman was walking home and Torres offered her a ride. But he then drove past her house to a secluded area on Scranton Road and assaulted her.

The woman, who is acquainted with numerous police officers, told them about the assault. Those officers relayed the information to the department's Internal Affairs Unit.

Investigators received results from DNA tests Wednesday and consulted with prosecutors, Stacho said.

The city recently finished installing automatic-vehicle locators in its police cars. Investigators were able to confirm parts of the woman's story by using the locator in Torres' police car, Stacho said.

Torres has been on the force since October 2006 and was a Cleveland patrolman for about five years in the early 1990s but resigned, only to later rejoin the force.

He will be suspended without pay, Stacho said.

Steve Loomis, head of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, said the union was working to post bond and get Torres released from jail. The public shouldn't rush to judgment on Torres, Loomis said.

"Everybody is innocent until proven guilty," he said. "We look forward to our day in court."


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