San Diego sheriff’s deputy accused of repeatedly having sex with female inmate: ‘Abhorrent’

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A San Diego County sheriff’s deputy allegedly turned his post behind bars into a sexual playground, repeatedly having sex with a female inmate under his watch.

Ricky Garcia, 37, was arrested Tuesday after an investigation found he allegedly engaged in multiple sexual encounters with an incarcerated woman at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility.

“A Sheriff’s employee brought forward concerns that inappropriate actions might be occurring between a deputy and an incarcerated person at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility. The Sheriff’s Sexual Assault Unit immediately began to investigate the allegations,” the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said.

“In the meantime, the deputy involved was placed on administrative assignment and removed from any responsibility of overseeing incarcerated persons,” the department added.

Garcia allegedly engaged in the sexual encounters during June and July, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by ABC 10. He faces five felony counts.

Sheriff Kelly Martinez blasted the alleged misconduct as “abhorrent” and a “violation of public trust.”

“We will not tolerate criminal behavior in our ranks and will hold employees accountable for their actions,” she said.

Garcia was hired by the department in March 2018. Upon his arrest, he was booked into the Vista Detention Facility.

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The case is the latest in a string of scandals involving California correctional officers accused of sexually abusing women behind bars.

In 2025, former correctional officer Gregory Rodriguez, 57, was sentenced to 224 years in prison after being convicted of more than 60 charges stemming from the sexual abuse of inmates at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.

Rodriguez worked as a guard at the women’s prison, where prosecutors said he preyed on women in his custody.

And in 2019, former San Diego sheriff’s deputy Richard Fischer was found guilty of sexually assaulting 16 women while in uniform.

Fischer faced 20 counts before pleading guilty to seven on the day his trial was scheduled to begin.