A Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputy who accused her supervisor of sexually assaulting her at a Christmas party last year has filed a $900,000 claim against him, Pima County and other law enforcement officials.
Ricardo Garcia, a sergeant in the department’s school resources unit, was arrested on suspicion of one count of sexual assault in January stemming from events at a house party he hosted. He was fired later that same month, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported.
The notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit, says the deputy attended a Christmas party for members of the school resource unit in December 2022 at the home of Garcia, her supervisor at the time. The claim seeks damages for the injuries and for the department’s inadequate response.
At some point at the party the deputy felt that she was unable to drive home. Garcia and his girlfriend invited the deputy to stay in their spare room, where she went to rest and fell asleep, the claim said.
Sometime after midnight, Garcia allegedly sexually assaulted the unconscious woman. Another deputy at the party intervened and called for help, the claim said.
Garcia reportedly called and texted Joseph D. Cameron, the department’s chief of staff. After a conversation Cameron called another sergeant and asked him to contact Garcia in his capacity as a union representative, the claim said.
“The chain of command was not properly followed by either Ricky or Chief Cameron, as direct communication of this type is inappropriate under the circumstances,” the claim said.
The next day, the deputy was made aware of the incident. The deputy who intervened notified the department and a patrol car was sent to Garcia’s home.
The deputy was interviewed in the patrol car and taken home. Later that morning, she went to the hospital and underwent a rape kit, which confirmed Garcia’s DNA was present, the claim said.
The deputy had previously met Garcia in 2007 when she was at the academy, but lost touch after Garcia transferred. She later became a sheriff deputy and the two reconnected in 2021, the claim said.
The deputy says she has suffered “extreme post-traumatic stress symptoms,” and is seeking ongoing counseling, the claim said.
“The deputy has also experienced other pain, suffering, anxiety, harms and losses, including the inability to enjoy life and activities she previously enjoyed and difficulty in trusting others due to the defendant’s collective misconduct,” the claim said.
The claim also states that Sheriff Chris Nanos “knew or should have known that policies and practices of his department were inadequate to protect victims of crime” and that there was a “culture of avoiding proper channels and chain of command in conducting official business.”
“Failure to follow laws, rules and regulations caused and contributed to the deputy’s injuries and damages,” the claim said.
The deputy seeks $225,000 from each of the defendants: Pima County, Nanos, Garcia and Cameron.
“Defendants and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted themselves in a manner, in their individual or official capacities that clearly violated the established rights of the deputy,” the claim said. “Their actions caused and/or contributed to serious ongoing, and likely permanent injuries sustained by the deputy that resulted in her assault and rape, and the mismanagement of the following investigation.”
