A Santa Maria police officer is on paid administrative leave and awaiting word whether he’ll be charged after his domestic violence-related arrest in early October.
Israel Diaz, 25, a sworn officer with the Santa Maria Police Department, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence by sheriff’s deputies at his Santa Maria Valley residence shortly after midnight on
Oct. 10.
Diaz was booked into county jail on suspicion of felony spousal abuse. Bail was set at $25,000, and he was released after posting it later that morning.
But according to Deputy District Attorney Nick Smith, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office hasn’t decided whether to file formal charges against Diaz.
“At this moment, any charges are pending investigation,” Smith said.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department is continuing a criminal investigation, and the Santa Maria Police Department is conducting its own internal investigation into Diaz’s arrest.
Santa Maria Police Lt. Norm Comé told the Sun Diaz was placed on paid administrative leave immediately following his arrest, which is standard procedure when criminal allegations are levied against an officer. Comé said the department will await results from its investigation before any disciplinary action may be taken, but that such actions are a distinct possibility.
“Sure, this kind of situation could certainly have an impact on his ability to [work] as a police officer,” Comé said. “But we can’t put the cart before the horse. We have to make our decision based on the merits of the case.”
Comé would not confirm how long Diaz has been with the department, saying it was a personnel issue and not subject to disclosure. Mark van de Kamp, a management analyst with the city Human Resources Department, said he was only authorized to confirm that Diaz has been on the job “less than five years.”
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This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 4, 2010.