Attorney General to investigate Pima County Sheriff’s Department over sexual assault case involving former sergeant

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Arizona Attorney General has accepted a request to conduct an investigation into the Pima County Sheriff’s Department over the handling of an alleged sexual assault case involving an employee and former employee.

In the letter released on Thursday, Nov. 2, Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher said Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said her office would investigate.

In September, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of asking Mayes’ office to investigate why an internal investigation is taking so long.

Former PCSD Sgt. Ricardo “Ricky” Garcia is accused of sexually assaulting a co-worker at a holiday party held at his house late last year. According to the state, the victim was unconscious at the time of the alleged sexual assault. Garcia also allegedly contacted the victim to try to convince her not to make a statement that would implicate him.

13 News spoke with Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos shortly after Lesher’s letter was released.

“We always conduct internal investigations and always will,” Nanos said. “Whenever there is an ongoing criminal case we wait for it to end then start the investigation. I have never not investigated a case.”

Garcia was in court Thursday and rejected a plea deal in the case. Garcia would have received no jail time but would have had probation.

Garcia’s trial is scheduled to start in April 2024. If convicted, he faces 10 1/2 to 28 years in prison.

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