TAKING CHARGE

FBI Steps in After Fifth Woman Accuses Florida Cop of Sexual Assault

A fifth woman has accused Hialeah Police Department Sgt. Jesús Menocal Jr. of sexual assault. The woman says she has an audio recording.

The FBI will take over the investigation of Hialeah Police Department Sgt. Jesús Menocal Jr. after a fifth woman has come forward alleging that she was assaulted by the officer. The Miami Herald reports that the latest alleged victim came forward when Menocal was arrested in December after four women, including two minors, accused the police officer of sexually assaulting them. Menocal has pleaded not guilty to charges that he detained two of the women, “subjecting them to non-consensual sexual encounters ... while he was acting in his official capacity as a police officer” in 2015. The latest woman to come forward says she has an audio recording of the assault, which happened when she was around the age of 18. “The FBI has asked to take the lead on the new complaint,” Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the state attorney’s office, said. “Since they already have an indictment pending that is similar in nature to the new complaint, we agreed to their request. We have offered the FBI our assistance if they request it.”