Anaheim police officer sued for sexually abusing woman – NBC Los Angeles

An Anaheim police officer is at the center of a criminal investigation and a recently filed civil lawsuit alleging that he raped a woman in her home while on duty.

The Orange County woman, identified only as Jane Doe in the complaint, filed a civil lawsuit in federal court this week, alleging that she noticed an Anaheim police officer smiling at her at an In-N-Out restaurant on the corner of Orange Avenue and Brookhurst Street last May.

The complaint states the woman received a Facebook friend request the next day from Officer Carlos Romero, who later confirmed in a message that he looked up her license plate information to find out her name.

The lawsuit alleges that Romero began sending text messages to the woman in which she made it clear that she was not interested in a romantic relationship.

But in the months that followed, the woman claims, Romero repeatedly came to her home while he was on duty. They kissed consensually, but she refused his requests for sex, the complaint says.

Then, Jane Doe says, in September, Romero approached her while he was on duty, forced himself on her, and sexually assaulted her, despite the woman repeatedly telling him no. She says because Romero’s gun was in sight and within his reach, she was terrified and feared for her life.

The city of Anaheim said in a video message that Romero was “immediately replaced” in October.

“(The city) has launched an international investigation as well as a criminal investigation,” said city spokesman Mike Lyster. “At this point, we have done everything in our power to address this situation, which we take very seriously.”

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s Sex Crimes Unit declined to file charges against Romero, saying prosecutors could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime had been committed.

Prosecutors charged him with a misdemeanor count of unauthorized disclosure of information from DMV records because he allegedly used her license plate number to look up her information. Romero pleaded not guilty to that charge.

Jane Do is seeking $10 million in damages for the mental, physical and emotional pain she is suffering.

Her lawyer declined to comment.

NBCLA contacted Romero’s lawyers.