Fresno County deputy arrested on felony sexual battery, assault charges

A Fresno County sheriff’s deputy now faces felony sexual battery and assault charges after investigators say an on-duty encounter in Fresno led to a criminal complaint against him and a search of his home.

Alejandro Apodaca, 31, was booked May 13 on two felony sexual battery counts and one felony assault by a public officer count. Public records identified him as Alejandro Gabriel Apodaca of Lemoore. Authorities said the alleged incident happened May 10 in Fresno while Apodaca was in uniform and on duty.

Fresno police said the investigation began after a report that a victim had been sexually assaulted by a deputy. The case escalated quickly enough that investigators served a search warrant at Apodaca’s home and collected DNA evidence, a step that suggests detectives are trying to match physical evidence against the complaint as the case moves through the criminal process.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office placed Apodaca on administrative leave after the arrest. He has since bonded out of jail and is scheduled to return to court May 28. The sheriff’s office also maintains a public inmate information and release system, giving residents a way to track booking and release status as the case advances.

California Penal Code section 243.4 covers sexual battery in certain unlawful-restraint situations, and the felony charge can carry state-prison exposure in qualifying cases. The public officer assault count adds a separate allegation tied to the authority Apodaca held while on duty.

The arrest is likely to intensify scrutiny of how Fresno County law enforcement screens, supervises and disciplines deputies who are accused of misconduct. A deputy’s authority depends on public trust, and allegations that the conduct happened during an active shift raise immediate questions about internal oversight, workplace safeguards and how quickly supervisors respond when complaints surface.

The case comes amid broader local concern over police misconduct allegations, including a separate Fresno police officer sexual-battery arrest in 2025. With an on-duty deputy now facing felony charges, the focus in Fresno County is shifting beyond the arrest itself to how the sheriff’s office investigates alleged misconduct inside its own ranks and whether those systems are strong enough to protect the public.