Monrovia sergeant named in harassment suit

Nate McIntire, our new reporter for Monrovia, got a baptism of fire Tuesday stepping into a hornets nest of allegations swirling around the Monrovia police department.

The Foothill Cities broke a story on its Web site from court documents alleging a police sergeant carried on a sexual relationship with an underage Explorer.

The Explorer, Rudy Ramirez, ultimately became the city’s jailer, until he was terminated in 2006.

The police sergeant, according to the suit?

Dan Verna, a cop shot on duty just a few months ago.

We’ll have the complete story in tomorrow’s newspaper.

The allegations are unseemly and most of it repulsive. I have little doubt that the release of this information will severely undermine the MPOA’s ability to negotiate a new contract with the city.

That said, police officials and Dick Singer refused to take calls from McIntire or reporter Fred Ortega Tuesday.

We did get comment from Scott Ochoa who said:

“We are aware of the lawsuit and are looking into it,” said City Manager Scott Ochoa, adding, “Anybody can sue anybody for anything at any time, and this may or may not be one of those incidents.”

 

 

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10 thoughts on “Monrovia sergeant named in harassment suit

  1. The allegations against SGT Verna in regard to the Duarte incident that we cited on theFCblog.com are far more troubling.

    For starters, they involve an intimate association with a known criminal. For another, unlike anything in the lawsuit, there are several witnesses who can verify aspects of that story. That story may not rise to the level of criminal conduct, but given its level of verification, the allegations of an internal MPD cover-up, and the fact that Verna was promoted immediately afterward, it is really the more troubling of the incidents.

  2. Hey, USAGAIN and RCJP, and you too, OUT ETHICS… lets not guess at or speculate on what happened. Maybee the jailer was let go because of incompetence or some other valid reason and wants revenge. That happenes quite frequently. And what ever happened to “innocent until proven guilty?”

    The RESPONSIBLE thing for you guys to do is to let the investivative process run it’s course then print the facts. Your irresponsible journalism hurts everyone. But, I guess that’s your “bread and butter” isn’t it!

    William Couch

  3. I am with Couch on this…innocent until proven guilty. I just don’t like that being a Monrovia resident that we never seem to get the whole story. I would like to know what is going on with the city in whole and not feel like I am kept in the dark. I have girls and feel unprotected and now this. We miss you Couch !!!!!!

  4. WC,
    Speculation is part and parcel of what happens on these blogs. While I’m sure there are cases of disgruntled, former employees fabricating stories of abuse, the facts in this case (e.g., multiple witnesses) leads most of us to think something is seriously wrong in this All American City. The fact that it took so long for something like this to surface is further evidence that there police officers operate in an insulated culture, where they touch, bend and sometimes uphold the law.

    They work in a world that traffics in death, lies, coverup, dirt, crud and muck…its little wonder they get dirty in the process.

  5. I don’t believe anyone wanted to hear, law enforcement or otherwise, that this possibly took place much less probably. Karla, Couch was working there during the time of these allegations and there’s nothing he or anyone else could have done. Then again, if the investigation into Fish Canyon would have been handled correctly from the start maybe the department wouldn’t be facing this trouble at this time. I really don’t know, just speculating but I’m sure there’s more to this than anyone knows yet.

    Unsettling as they are and regardless of any personal friendship with Dan Verna that Bill Couch or anyone else has, there has to be a thorough investigation of everything.

    Where “us” kind of has comments that for a change make sense, nobody wants cops to operate under the “letter of the law” at all times. That’s why they are given the authority to “bend” it at times. When they get “dirty” though, they have to be held accountable.

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