Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Officer Rey Munoz Resigns After Approaching Women and Asking for Phone Numbers

A Melbourne police officer has been forced to resign after an investigation showed he was approaching women in parking lots while on duty and asking for their phone numbers.

A memo from a police department lieutenant says Officer Rey Munoz approached several women in the parking lot of LA Fitness on Feb. 19.  Police reviewed Munoz's onboard video and saw him speaking with three different women.  One of the women described it later to police as a "creepy" encounter.

Dashcam video: Cop accused of asking women for their numbers

A written statement by one of the women said Munoz asked her age.

"He said he wanted to know because I was beautiful. He then asked for my phone number. I told him I was spoken for," she said.

The memo says Munoz was warned about such behavior after doing the same thing at a Walmart parking lot in December where, according to the memo, Munoz had approached the niece of a police sergeant and asked for her phone number.

"There's no place for it here at the Melbourne Police Department," said Sgt. Sheridan Shelley, with Melbourne police.

A police spokesman says Melbourne Police Chief Steve Mimbs met with Munoz, who was a one-year probationary employee, and asked for his resignation, which was given.

"During that time, it's very crucial for that person to show what kind of character they have," said Shelley.

He'd been employed less than a year.


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