A deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday after being charged with several felony counts, including allegedly setting fire to a live-in companion’s hair, threatening her with a firearm and breaking her nose, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Alejandro Flores, a 33-year-old resident of Buena Park, was arrested following an investigation by the local police department that began after an unidentified woman he lived with reported the alleged abuse on June 29, the DA stated.
Flores, who was a sheriff’s deputy at the time of the alleged assaults, and the woman lived together along with a child relative under the age of 2.
The first incident of abuse, which was not reported at the time, took place on Oct. 22, 2014, when Flores allegedly hit “Jane Doe” in the face, breaking her nose.
The violence allegedly escalated on June 28 when Flores and “Doe” argued about the child’s pacifier and he pushed her into a wall at their Buena Park home, the DA stated.
Flores allegedly then hit his companion on the top of her head with his fist and grabbed her neck, causing her to fall to the ground.
She was then said to have been dragged into the home’s kitchen after attempting to get away from Flores, who allegedly forcibly held her over the stove, turned on the burner and caused her hair to catch fire.
Once the woman’s hair was extinguished, Flores allegedly threatened her with an off-duty firearm and physical violence if she called police or left the home.
Flores was also accused of grabbing her phone and throwing it at her leg with enough force to cause injury, and turning up the volume on a TV when she screamed.
The following day, the woman fled the home along with the child while Flores was at work and told two relatives about the incident. The relatives then contacted the Buena Park Police Department.
Flores was arrested on June 30, according to the Los Angeles Times.
He was later “relieved of duty” and placed on administrative leave, Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Amber Smith told the Times.
Flores had worked with the department for more than seven years in the court services and transit bureau, Smith added.
The DA charged Flores with three felony counts of domestic battery with corporal injury and two felony counts of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.
He also faced one felony count each of aggravated assault, dissuading a witness by force or threat, and false imprisonment by menace or violence with sentencing enhancement allegations for great bodily injury inflicted during domestic violence.
Flores was released on $50,000 bail, the Times reported.
He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday morning, according to the DA.
Flores faces a maximum sentence of 25 years and eight months in state prison.
Deputy District Attorney Suzy Snyder was expected to prosecute the case.