Menifee Police Officer Suspected Of Sexual Assault

MENIFEE, CA — A Menifee police officer was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of sexual assault, the Menifee Police Department announced.

Juan Jose Pesina, 32, was booked into Southwest Detention Center just before 6 p.m., according to jail records. Booking charges were unavailable at press time.

An investigation into Pesina began July 22 when the Menifee Police Department's Professional Standards Unit received a complaint involving sexual assault allegations about an officer later identified as Pesina, according to the law enforcement agency.

Information about the alleged victim(s) was not released.

A preliminary internal investigation was conducted, and then on July 24, the Menifee Police Department requested an independent criminal investigation by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Unit.

"During their investigation, Riverside County sheriff’s investigators determined there was sufficient probable cause to support the arrest of Menifee Police Officer Juan Pesina," Menifee PD reported.

Pesina was placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the criminal and administrative investigations, the police department reported.

According to a Menifee Police Department social media post, Pesina was sworn in as an officer in December 2022. He came to Menifee PD from the Los Angeles Police Department with almost five years of patrol experience, the post reads.

On Tuesday, the Menifee Police Department said it "remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest standards of integrity in law enforcement. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and will continue to cooperate fully with investigative authorities."

Pesina's arrest follows news of two separate investigations involving local law enforcement officers.

On Aug. 7, it was reported that 41-year-old Riverside County deputy Michael Gene Schmidt was arrested and booked on suspicion of accessing confidential information from government databases for personal use. He was most recently assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station.

At approximately 8 a.m. on Aug. 5, San Bernardino County deputy Cameron Steven Romo, 27, of Rialto, was arrested on suspicion of extortion and soliciting a bribe.

Both deputies were placed on administrative leave.