An Osceola County Sheriff's deputy has been fired and arrested, as Sheriff Marcos Lopez alleges he helped a friend flee from a felony charge of having sex with a minor in Okeechobee County.
Arturo Dominguez, 30, who had been on the force for two years with OCSO, was arrested late Wednesday night and charged with unauthorized access of computer and devices, official misconduct by obstructing with an investigation, disclosure or use of confidential criminal justice information and accessory after the fact to unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
Lopez said Thursday that an investigation began on April 20, when the agency received a complaint about Dominguez from a detective who works for the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. The detective was working a case against Omar Ayala, 31, who had been accused of having sex with a minor. The detective noted Dominguez used a law enforcement data base to repeatedly run Ayala’s name; Dominguez told the Okeechobee detective that he ran Ayala’s name because he pulled him over on a traffic stop.
Lopez said Thursday an internal investigation revealed Dominguez was running Ayala's name to determine if Ayala had an outstanding felony warrant for the charge, as the two were lifelong friends. In an interview, Dominguez also admitted he lied to the detective about the traffic stop, and confessed he did have conversations with Ayala about his arrest warrant.
"He told the suspect in a sex case involving a minor to flee. That's pretty disgusting," Lopez said, noting Ayala's whereabouts are still unknown and is possibly out of state, making it a case for the U.S. Marshall's office.
According to police officials, Dominguez, who had no prior disciplinary record with the Sheriff's Office prior to this case, was called in late Wednesday night. At that time he was fired, arrested and sent to the Osceola County Jail. As of noontime Thursday, he had not been entered into the corrections or court system (check back for updates).
"I take no joy in that one of my deputies broke the law and violated our oath to the community. "We treat everyone the same, whether in civilian clothes or a police uniform. If you break the law, we will investigate and hold you accountable. When a deputy violates the law, it feels personal to me. It will not be tolerated."
Dominguez is the second Sheriff's deputy brought up on charges in two weeks. Last Thursday, Deputy David Crawford was charged with one count of culpable negligence with personal injury, a first-degree misdemeanor, following a pursuit that ended with an explosion at a Wawa gas station on Central Florida Parkway in Orange County in February 2022. Investigators say Crawford used his taser on the suspect while at a gas pump, a move that sparked a fire that burned both he and the suspect.
