One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Former Bell Cop Gets 9 Years in Federal Prison for Forcing Woman to Perform Oral Sex During Traffic Stop
Photo by bloomsberries via Flickr
A 35-year-old former police officer from the Bell Police Department (yes, in that City of Bell) was sentenced yesterday to nine years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a female motorist and violating her civil rights, the Justice Department announced. Feliciano Sanchez of Pico Rivera pleaded guilty to charges he forced a woman to perform oral sex on him after he pulled her over for a traffic violation in May 2007. Sanchez described in court how he took the victim from her vehicle to his patrol car and parked in an isolated parking lot nearby. With his hand on his duty weapon, Sanchez ordered the victim to perform the sex act on him.
The victim had further encounters with Sanchez, as testimony explains that he visited her at her workplace twice "to tell her that he would be watching her, which caused her to quit her job."
Yesterday in court the judge labeled Sanchez's behavior as "predatory" as she handed down the sentence. Said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr.: “In this case, Mr. Sanchez committed an egregious assault, caused incalculable pain and suffering to the victim, and damaged the honor of the thousands of men and women in law enforcement who serve us every day.”
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
