DA: Cop From Roslyn Heights Sexually Assaulted Woman in Front of Her Kids

A Hempstead Village police officer was indicted Thursday for sexually abusing a woman, with his police shield in plain view, in front of her children outside a Hempstead restaurant in late June, acting Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced.

Louis Arcila, 49, of Roslyn Heights, surrendered to DA investigators Thursday morning and was indicted on the following charges:

• Official misconduct
• Endangering the welfare of a child
• Third degree sexual abuse

On June 28, Arcila was dining at El Cancho Catracho, while he was off-duty and had his police shield clipped to his waist, when he approached a woman, who entered the restaurant carrying her 3-year-old daughter and accompanied by her adult nephew, and began questioning the woman why her child was dressed a certain way, the DA reports.

The woman and her child returned to her car, with her 10-year-old daughter inside, after picking up her food while her nephew stayed inside the restaurant for his food to be prepared.

According to the DA, Arcila followed the woman and her child outside and continued to speak to her through the passenger side window of her car. He allegedly opened the passenger side door, sat, down, leaned over and grabbed the woman’s right breast. The woman knocked his hand away and Arcila moved his hand to her inner thigh and touched her breast a second time, the DA reports.

Arcila stopped touching the woman once the nephew returned to the car to see him groping at his aunt, the DA reports. The woman’s children were inside the car to witness the incident. During the attack, the 10-year-old threatened to put Arcila “in the hospital” if he continued to touch her mother, according to the DA.

“The brave and honest men and women of our police forces do an outstanding job keeping our communities safe, but when a member of the force tarnishes the badge by sexually assaulting an innocent woman, we will prosecute them without fear or favor,” Singas said in a statement.

Arcila could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if he’s convicted of the top charge. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court Nov. 13.

Image via NCDA