TUCSON, Ariz. — A man who took an oath to serve and protect is now locked up like the criminals he put behind bars.
News 4 Tucson first told you about Ricardo Lozano-Sotelo, a Pima County Sheriff's deputy arrested for aggravated assault, domestic violence, and kidnapping.
Sources say he is in protective custody away from the general population.
The 32-year-old sheriff's deputy was booked here into the Pima County jail over the weekend.
According to court documents News 4 obtained, it says he came home drunk, punched his girlfriend in the face, and knocked her unconscious.
Court documents read this all started when Lozano-Sotelo gave the victim his cell phone... "He throws up several times" and while the victim is cleaning him up, "He demands his phone back."
"She retreated to a bathroom where the defendant broke down the door and punched the victim in the face," the documents state.
In the documents, it said after the victim was knocked unconscious, "She woke up he was standing over her threatening her."
She allegedly attempted to leave again and he caught up to her where he placed the victim in a "choke" hold and again passed out, the records show.
"You are talking about a high risk of lethality, the high chance of someone getting killed in one of these situations."
Ed Sakwa is the CEO of Emerge, an organization against domestic abuse. He says sadly this scenario is all too common.
Daily they receive 20 to 25 calls on the hotline.
Yearly, they help over 6,000 people dealing with domestic violence.
Sakwa added, "It's a horrible thing to think that many people every single day in our community are facing that threat."
He told News 4 Tucson that incidents involving law enforcement committing domestic violence are not unusual.
"There are studies out there that show there are higher rates in law enforcement than the general community. But what I would say it's high everywhere," he said.
Rachel Tineo knows all too well about domestic violence. Her niece Tina Soto was just 28 when she lost her life to someone she loved.
"She was like a daughter to me and she was murdered by her partner of ten years," the aunt said.
Soto's partner was also the father of her three children. She died in 2013.
Tineo said no one knew she was being abused, she kept it hidden. So now, Tineo is bringing awareness to this problem.
"I feel very strongly and passionate about the awareness of domestic abuse," she said. "And the support that's out there for victims and the families that are out there going through hard times."
When she learned about the deputy being accused of domestic violence, she was horrified.
"He is a school resource officer that is promoting good behavior in school for school children. That is just not setting the bar very high to our children that look up to a person like him."
News 4 reached out to the Pima County Sheriff's Department and they also declined to comment. They did say once the criminal investigation was over they would start an internal investigation.
To reach out for help, visit the Emerge website or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
A list of resources in Arizona can be found here.
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