A Lompoc police officer was arrested last month on suspicion of felony domestic violence, but a decision on whether he will face criminal charges was pending Monday.
Mauricio Torres Calderon, 48, of Orcutt was taken into custody at 2 p.m. April 21 at his attorney’s office on the 200 block of South Miller Street, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office records.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Calderon on suspicion of corporal injury to a spouse and sexual battery.
He was booked into the Northern Branch Jail and released on bail, which was set at $50,000.
Police Chief Joseph Mariani declined to comment citing the current criminal and administrative investigations.
Calderon has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of both investigations, Mariani told Noozhawk.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office had not filed criminal charges in Santa Barbara County Superior Court as of Monday.
However, it’s not uncommon for a criminal complaint to be filed weeks or months after an arrest if a person has posted bail and additional investigation or review of the evidence is needed.
Calderon cooperated with investigators, and provided a statement before he was taken into custody, which is standard following domestic-violence accusations, defense attorney Michael Scott said.
The alleged incident occurred April 15, but was reported several days later.
“I believe his explanation was very credible, supported by corroborating evidence, and in no way was criminal,” Scott said.
An emergency protective order also was issued, which Calderon has honored, Scott said.
Alleged incidents involving law enforcement officers, Scott said, typically receive additional scrutiny at all levels of the investigation.
“More eyes are on it, and more people are involved in the decision making,” Scott added.
Calderon reportedly was ordered to show up for court June 22.
The veteran officer has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, with 12-plus years at the Lompoc Police Department.
He served as the Lompoc department’s homeless liaison officer for a time.
He also was involved in two fatal shootings while on the job in the past year. They include the March 2021 death of Krys Brandon Ruiz, 26, and the October 2021 death of Travis Daniel Carlon, 32.
Investigations into both incidents ended with rulings of justifiable homicide for the shootings, saying officers feared for their and colleagues’ safety.
Suicide notes from both men reportedly were found after the shootings, according to the investigations.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.