May 17, 2016 – The Monterey Park Police Department announced that Israel Sanchez, a three-year veteran of the department, was arrested and charged with ten felonies related to inappropriate interactions with the public while on duty.

“The Monterey Park Police Department and the City of Monterey Park are taking this situation extremely seriously,” said Police Chief Jim Smith. “As public servants we hold ourselves to the highest ethics and standards and have a zero tolerance policy for conduct that is not in-line with those standards.”

In 2014 upon receiving a complaint, Israel Sanchez was placed on administrative leave, which is in accordance with Monterey Park Police Department policies. The department then brought in an outside third party, the Long Beach Police Department, to conduct the in-depth investigation to eliminate any conflict of interest. The investigation was then turned over to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office which filed ten felony counts against the individual. The charges include: False Imprisonment, Bribery, Assault under Color of Authority, and Sexual Battery by Restraint.

Smith added, “The Monterey Park Police Department has cooperated fully with the investigation and will continue to cooperate with all investigative bodies looking into this matter.”

Any inquiries as to the charges and circumstances should be directed to the Long Beach Police Department at 562-570-7368 or Monterey Park Police Department Office of the Chief 626-307-1222.