Pima County is investigating Sheriff Nanos’ handling of the deputy sexual assault case

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In 2022, Sergeant Ricardo Garcia allegedly sexually assaulted a female deputy while he was her supervisor. The incident occurred at a party when he was off duty.

“My job is not only to protect the integrity of the case, but also to prevent this victim from becoming a victim again,” said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors will discuss Nanos’ handling of the situation at its board meeting on Tuesday.

Nanos feels that superiors bringing up the incident again will re-victimize the woman who was sexually assaulted.

The Pima County Deputies Organization claims PCSD refused to intervene for more than eighty minutes.

Nanos said the department arrested Garcia and he was immediately fired.

Last September, the Pima County Board of Supervisors asked the attorney general’s office to conduct its own investigation after Nanos was accused of failing to conduct a “timely and thorough investigation” into the incident.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office sent a letter to Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher saying it had found no criminal wrongdoing on Sheriff Nano’s part but was concerned about four separate violations.

That letter said deputies dealing with the situation provided little or no assistance and some failed to immediately report the situation.

Nanos said he was confident in his decision.

“This sheriff knows what he’s doing. I’ve been doing it for almost half a century,” Nanos said.

However, he feels the board raising the incident and its handling of it are politically motivated, especially since it is an election season.

“If they really wanted to know something about this case, it would have been time to invite the sheriff to their board to explain himself before asking for an investigation,” he said.

Nanos said he was never told the case was on the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting.

Emails between Nanos and Chairwoman Adelita Grijalva and other county officials, including Supervisor Steve Christy, detail Nanos and say the timing is suspicious. A representative for Christy confirmed that he is invited to the meeting.

Garcia’s trial is scheduled for December. Nanos said he is willing to talk to the Pima County Board of Supervisors, but said there will be an executive session after the election.

“I will not politicize this case. I stood my ground…we’re just not going to do that,” Nanos said.