CHULA VISTA (CNS/News 8) - A Chula Vista Police Department civilian employee was arrested this week on suspicion of having sex with a woman who was being held in the city's jail, where he was assigned, a police captain reported Thursday.
Joseph Struzzieri, a seven-year employee responsible for supervision of female prisoners, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and booked on a misdemeanor charge of consensual sexual activity with an inmate, Capt. Gary Wedge said.
Struzzieri was released on his own recognizance pending a review of the case by the District Attorney's Office.
The 28-year-old jail worker is no longer employed by the police department, according to Wedge, who declined to disclose whether the suspect resigned upon his arrest or was fired.
"We initiated the investigation after one of our employees was suspicious regarding this employee being a little overly friendly with a particular inmate," Chief David Bejarano told News 8.
"The inmate, who was transferred from the Chula Vista jail in November, was interviewed and disclosed at least two acts of (alleged) sexual activity with Struzzieri between September and November," Capt. Wedge said.
The move of the prisoner, who had been arrested on an undisclosed federal charge, to another detention facility was unrelated to the accusations against Struzzieri, according to Wedge.
The sex acts allegedly occurred outside the inmate's cell, in an unsupervised part of the jail complex located at CVPD headquarters.
"We are adding additional layers of security to make sure this doesn't happen again," Bejarano added.
Struzzieri was a type of uniformed detention officer who carries an electric stun gun but no firearm.
The Chula Vista City Jail opened in 2004 with 11 cells and capacity for 48 prisoners. Currently, the facility houses female federal inmates on a contract basis, the captain said.
Joseph Struzzieri
