A Pima County Sheriffโ€™s Department sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a co-worker during a house party in December was officially fired from the department on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Ricardo Garcia was arrested on suspicion of one count of sexual assault. His arrest stemmed from an alleged incident that happened at a house party Garcia held in December for members of the school resource unit he led, Sheriff Chris Nanos told the Star in a previous interview.

The department launched its criminal investigation on Dec. 18 and Garcia was placed on administrative leave with pay.

Since then, lab reports were received and adding further evidence to the case. As a result, the Sheriffโ€™s Department moved to terminate Garcia.

The case is being handled by the Santa Cruz County Attorneyโ€™s Office.


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Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com