Noncitizen charged with rape became California cop, thanks to Gavin Newsom: Report

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom (Calif.) ratified legislation in September 2022 scrapping the requirement that police, highway patrol, and corrections officers in California have to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Felipe Gomes, one of the foreign nationals who took full advantage of Newsom's law, was arrested last week on suspicion of rape, reported the Palo Alto Daily Post.

Redwood City Police arrested Gomes at the Belmont Police Department headquarters on April 22, according to RCPD Sgt. Victor Figueroa. Gomes was reportedly charged under penal code 261 (a) (1), which concerns knowingly having sexual intercourse with an individual incapable of giving consent because of a mental disorder or developmental or physical disability.

The Brazilian national was booked into the San Mateo County Office Main Jail then later released on a $100,000 bail bond.

Belmont Police Lt. Pete Lotti indicated that Gomes was terminated the following day.

The foreign national took his oath of office on Dec. 10 during a Belmont City Council ceremony. When introducing his new recruits, Belmont Police Chief Ken Stenquist noted, "He was in the Brazilian Air Force and part of their air force police. He was a full-time police soldier and left that position when he moved to the United States. He enjoys practicing jiu jitsu and attending church when he's not working."

According to KGO-TV, prior to hiring Gomes, Chief Stenquist received warnings from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the East Palo Alto Police Department that they had both rejected the Brazilian national on account of his 2017 domestic violence arrest.

'You don't want someone who in a family setting, you know, violence is a place they can escalate to.'

The charging affidavit reviewed by KGO alleged that one year into his marriage, Gomes — who is not an American citizen but apparently has a U.S. work permit — brutally beat his wife, striking her repeatedly in the face and stomach. Gomes had allegedly done so after seeing text messages on his wife's phone from her ex-boyfriend.

An officer reported at the time seeing a "large bruise that covered most of (his wife's) left cheek and scratches to her right cheek."

The state attorney reportedly factored in Gomes' claims that his wife hit and scratched him first, charged both husband and wife with battery/domestic violence, and ultimately dropped the charges.

Chief Stenquist told KGO's Dan Noyes, "Past law enforcement contact that does not result in charges are not disqualifying in of itself under policies or applicable law."

Former San Francisco Police Department commander and head of recruitment Rich Corriea noted that in such circumstances, the charges are often dropped, and that the incident should still be disqualifying.

"You don't want someone who in a family setting, you know, violence is a place they can escalate to," Corriea told KGO. "You want just the opposite. You want natural de-escalators."

In addition to casting doubt about whether Stenquist made the right call to hire Gomes, Corriea suggested that the recruitment of foreign nationals is a risky business as American-style justice and civil rights may be alien to them.

"You better make sure that you ... are hiring people that get the many nuances of the role of a police officer," said Corriea. "There's no one else, as far as I know, in our entire society that carries a gun and has the authority to shoot you under certain circumstances."

The Brazilian national will reportedly return to the San Mateo County Superior Court for an arraignment on May 21.

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