HOUSTON – A former Arcola police officer accused of kidnapping and sexual abuse is facing several federal charges, according to U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
Hector Aaron Ruiz, 25, was arrested after being accused of aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping while serving as an officer for the Arcola Police Department, according to prosecutors.
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READ: Arcola officer faces new charges after second woman accuses him of sexual assault
Ruiz was indicted on Nov. 10 and charged with two counts of depriving two victims of their right to bodily integrity. He faces up to life in prison if found guilty.
Ruiz was originally arrested on warrants last month, stemming from an incident prosecutors said occurred on Nov. 16, 2019. A 23-year-old woman accused him of sexually assaulting her during a traffic stop. Ruiz was charged with the state charges of felony sexual assault and official oppression charges in connection with that incident. Less than a month later, Ruiz was charged with two new charges of felony sexual assault and official oppression after another accuser came forward, according to the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office.
The woman told police in August, her boyfriend was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge. Ruiz arrived at the traffic stop to provide Spanish translations for the woman and her boyfriend, officials say. He then gave her a ride home, prosecutors wrote in a press release. “When they arrived at her residence, he forced her to engage in a sexual act,” officials wrote.
Ruiz has also been charged be federal prosecutors with two counts of carrying and using a firearm in a crime of violence and falsifying dashboard camera and body microphone recordings with the intent to obstruct the federal investigation. In the firearm charges, if found guilty, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years that must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed, according to prosecutors. The obstruction charge carries a maximum 20-year-prisons sentence, prosecutors said.
About the suspect
Ruiz was employed as a full-time police officer with the Arcola police department for 14 months. Before that he was a reserve officer on the force for about six months, officials said. In November 2019, Fort Bend County officials said he admitted to “a portion of our allegations” during questioning.
He is expected to appear in federal court Monday.
Law enforcement said they believe there could possibly be more victims of Ruiz and asked anyone with information to call the FBI at 713-693-5000.