HOUSTON – Hector Aaron Ruiz, a former officer for the Arcola Police Department, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for obstruction of justice and violation of civil rights. U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge also imposed five years of supervised release following his prison term. The sentencing follows Ruiz’s guilty plea in January.
Incident and Conviction
Ruiz’s crimes date back to November 16, 2019, when he pulled over a 23-year-old woman during a traffic stop late at night. Under the guise of law enforcement, he coerced her into following him to a secluded construction area, forced her to drink alcohol, and then raped her. Despite disabling his body microphone and the recording system in his cruiser, forensic evidence and a text message sent by the victim during the incident corroborated her account.
Official Statements
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani emphasized the gravity of Ruiz’s betrayal of trust: “Ruiz was not only a predator but a predator with a badge,” Hamdani said. “He violated a fundamental promise law enforcement makes with any community.”
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Investigation and Prosecution
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Texas Rangers, revealing Ruiz’s deliberate actions to evade detection, including disabling his recording devices. The victim’s immediate identification of Ruiz and the subsequent forensic analysis were crucial in securing his conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad S. Khandelwal and Sebastian Edwards led the prosecution, ensuring that Ruiz was held accountable for his heinous actions.
Ruiz will remain in custody until he is transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
