Minnesota – Additional charges have been filed against a Kasson police officer who was charged last week in Olmsted County with criminal sexual conduct.
A release from the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office said Julio Baez has been charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in Dodge County.
Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem was also asked to prosecute Baez as a special assistant to the Dodge County Attorney to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest due to Baez’s employment with the Kasson Police Department.
The release said prior to living in Olmsted County, Baez had lived in Dodge County. According to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office, “the newly charged allegation in the complaint occurred at that location.”
“As was evident during the investigation, Mr. Baez’s alleged conduct spanned many years of abuse,” Ostrem said in the release. “Coordinating the investigation and prosecution is both very efficient and appropriate in situations like this one.”
Baez was charged in Olmsted County last week with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to a criminal complaint.
Kasson Police Chief Kent Berghuis said the investigation into Baez began on June 2, when the department received a complaint of misconduct against him.
The same day, Berghuis said Baez didn’t clock out after his shift ended at 4 p.m. Officers later found his squad car abandoned near the wastewater treatment facility in Kasson.
Dodge County sheriff’s deputies were called in to help look for Baez. They discovered him several hundred yards away from his squad car.
“He had three gunshot wounds that we, at this point, determined were self-inflicted gunshot wounds,” said Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose.
Baez was airlifted to St. Marys hospital where he spent several weeks recovering from the injuries.
Baez was arrested in Winona on June 19, soon after he’d been released from the hospital, according to officials.
He is still in custody in Olmsted County.
Source: http://kstp.com/news/additional-charges-filed-against-kasson-police-officer-julio-baez/4969806/