Sexual Assault Suspect Arrested

Los Angeles: On Thursday, June 10, 2004, the Los Angeles Police Department received a complaint from a woman who stated she had been sexually assaulted by a department civilian employee following her booking for an unrelated charge.

Harbor Division supervisors immediately took the complaint and notified the Professional Standards Bureau. Investigators from the Professional Standards Bureau and detectives from Robbery Homicide Division interviewed the victim and conducted an intense investigation.

On Saturday, June 12, 2004, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the accused individual was taken into custody at Harbor Community Police Station, charged with rape and booked into Los Angeles County Jail on $100,000 bail.

The suspect, Terrence Mitchell, has been employed as a civilian custody official since March 2001. The sexual assault did not occur inside a police facility.

The investigation is proceeding in an effort to determine if there have been any similar occurrences. The case is currently under review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone with information, or who may have been the victim of a similar crime is urged to call the Los Angeles Police Department’s Professional Standards Bureau at 213-473-3853, or 213-485-2504 during non-business hours.

This news release was prepared by Public Information Officer Sandra Escalante, Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.