Officer is arrested on rape, other charges
Officer is arrested on rape, other charges
The Times-Picayune
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
By Brendan McCarthy
A 10-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department has been arrested on sex charges involving a woman he encountered during a traffic stop.
Officer Luis Rivas, 30, was arrested Thursday and booked with one count each of forcible rape, sexual malfeasance and injuring public records.
He is the second NOPD officer in a two-day period to be accused of abusing police powers and extorting sex from women.
The NOPD did not return requests for comment by deadline Monday night. A Metairie resident, Rivas joined the department in 1997 and is a member of the NOPD’s Traffic Division. He could not be reached for comment Monday.
His arrest stems from a traffic stop on Sept. 9 at 3 a.m.
According to court records, Rivas pulled over a 24-year-old woman at St. Charles Avenue and Walnut Street on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Court records say Rivas drove the woman to the NOPD’s DWI office and conducted a blood-alcohol test, which she failed. Rivas then altered the police report, according to court records, and drove the woman to an Uptown location where he forced her to perform oral sex.
An investigation followed, and on Thursday the woman identified Rivas as a suspect. His bail was set at $50,000, according to court records.
Whether NOPD disciplinary action has been taken against Rivas was unclear.
One day before Rivas’ arrest, an officer responsible for patrolling the French Quarter was arrested on charges of indecent exposure and offering police assistance in exchange for sexual favors. The two officers’ arrests are unrelated.
Jason K. Allen, 30, was booked Wednesday on charges of malfeasance, obscenity and public bribery. Allen resigned from the 8th District a week earlier after learning of the allegations against him.
According to police, Allen arrested a woman in June on suspicion of littering and criminal damage. The woman said Allen made sexual advances toward her, police said.
Allen joined the police force in 1999 and previously worked in the Community-Oriented Policing Squad, or COPS, which patrols public housing.
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Brendan McCarthy can be reached at bmccarthy@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3301.