Woman testifies that she was terrorized by Lorain police officer Jesus Sanchez
Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — Lorain police Officer Jesus Sanchez spent two years terrorizing her, Sarah Long testified Tuesday during the first day of Sanchez’s menacing by stalking trial.
At times tearful, Long said she endure years of Sanchez pulling her over, calling her, shining the spotlight from his police cruiser into her home and going so far as kissing and touching her, once even trying to stick his hand down her pants.
“I tried to avoid him at all costs,” Long said.
But Terry Gilbert, one of Sanchez’s attorneys, painted Long — who has filed a federal lawsuit against Sanchez and the city of Lorain — as a golddigger bent on making money from her friendship with his client.
“It’s a fantasy,” Gilbert said. “It’s actually made up for personal gain.”
Long testified that she first met Sanchez, who has been suspended since he was indicted early last year, in late 2000 when she and her mother went to a bingo event where Sanchez was working an off-duty security job.
Long said she encountered the veteran officer a few days later, and he told her he had information about her then-husband, whom she was in the process of divorcing and whom Sanchez said might hurt her. Sanchez told her he could lose his job if others learned what he had told her.
“It felt like he was doing a good service because he was warning someone who could be hurt,” she said.
But that help quickly turned into traffic stops and unwanted phone calls, Long said. She also began to doubt his warnings.
“I became wary and a little unsure of the things he was saying because some of the things he was saying were pretty outrageous,” she said.
Long said Sanchez’s attention focused on her even more when he lent her several hundred dollars to help cover court costs for her divorce. She said she didn’t want to take the money from him, but he insisted.
After she took the money, Long said, Sanchez became even more persistent.
“The stopping by became more frequent. The calls became more frequent. The pulling over doubled,” she said.
Long said she talked to some officers she knew, including Capt. William Engle, about Sanchez, but that only made him angry.
Long also recounted several instances in 2001 and 2002 in which Sanchez allegedly forcibly kissed her, including once in the back of a police car when he responded to a call she made to police asking for an officer to accompany her to her ex-husband’s home.
Another time, she said, Sanchez tried to kiss her when he pulled her over.
But most horrific, Long said, Sanchez once walked into her home while she was pregnant, backed her down the stairs and held her arms above her head while he rubbed her belly, tried to force his hand down her pants and kissed her.
Long said she recalled her kids crying and the “smirk” that Sanchez had when he finally left her house.
As with most of her encounters with Sanchez, Long said, he was wearing his police uniform and his duty weapon when he came into her house.
Long said she filed an official complaint against Sanchez in September 2002.
And, Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gauthier said, despite being told to stay away from Long, an angry Sanchez went to her home two days later and was still there when Long called police for help.
But Gilbert said Long had called Sanchez to ask him to get her sister out of a traffic ticket shortly before filing the complaint and was trying to avoid repaying Sanchez the money he lent her.
Sanchez was reprimanded by police officials not for stalking Long but for having a relationship while on duty, Gilbert said.
He was only charged criminally after agreeing to come forward about the behavior of other Lorain police officers as part of a settlement agreement with Long, Gilbert said, calling his client a “scapegoat” of the department.
Long said she’s still in counseling to get over what Sanchez put her through.
“I pretty much locked myself in my house,” she said. “I was afraid to go out, afraid of Jessie and the other officers.”
Long is expected to conclude her testimony today before county Common Pleas Judge Edward Zaleski, who is hearing the case in lieu of a jury at the request of the 53-year-old Sanchez.
Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.
| |
|
Filed by Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram November 19th, 2008 in Local and State. Popularity: 2% |
 Email this story
 Print this story
Read comments and discuss this story
Report an innappropriate comment
|
In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement
and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here. If you are registered, click here to log in.
Comments
Comment from
poet
November 19, 2008, 8:48 am
Can’t wait till she is on the stand today for cross examination. She claims this happened how long ago?
Doesn’t she know the city is broke?
Ha!
Comment from
LadyBug
November 19, 2008, 9:31 am
Sounds like the woman is a gold digger. I’ve spoken to people who know of her, and have not heard one good thing. Total trash.
Comment from
Lovinglife4me
November 19, 2008, 10:09 am
After she took the money, Long said, Sanchez became even more persistent.
DUH!
only charged criminally after agreeing to come forward about the behavior of other Lorain police officers
Now isn’t that interesting. Stinks pretty bad!
Comment from
allmoney1996
November 19, 2008, 10:53 am
She didn’t want to take the money but he insisted…
Give me a stinking break! If I don’t want someone’s money, I DON’T TAKE IT, insist or not…
This broad seems a bit shady…but who knows
Comment from
poet
November 19, 2008, 11:44 am
I hear Gilbert tore into her today, and caught her in several lies.
No surprise there!
In recess now, …Jes, may the truth come out and catch this woman in a bold face lie if indeed she is a con and a liar. If.
Comment from
Jack Miller
November 20, 2008, 1:10 pm
I have come to the conclusion the Lorain Police Department is one of the most corrupt in Northern Ohio. As I post this there are three articles of their wrong doings. The LPD should do something similiar to what happened in Tijuana, Mexico over their corrupt police force. 500 police officers were replaced there recently. 500.
Comment from
LadyBug
November 20, 2008, 5:56 pm
According to the mayor and safety director, there is nothing wrong with the department. Time for a change in management. Chime in everybody. What’s your opinion.
Comment from
johnbear
November 21, 2008, 7:52 am
Bet your house on the outcome, NOT GUILTY with all benefits and pay made good. The LPD blew this case when they had a traffic cop do the investigation. Another crooked cop back on the streets.
Comment from
DonTCare
November 21, 2008, 8:25 am
if he is found not guilty…. its the citizens of Lorain that put him back on the job……. the LPD didn’t drop the charges…. so its the citizens of Lorain that decide what type of Police Department they have…
Comment from
JayM
November 29, 2008, 9:03 pm
I love the fact that dozens of LPD officers have been investigated by their own department and thrown of the force in disgrace, and everyone still seems to claim that cops are corrupt and theyre all greddy pigs. Seriously, if that was even nearly true. Even if 10% of police were corrupt do you think we would ever hear a case of police corruption?? And dont give me that crap about the DOJ doign this. Its the city officers who find this stuff and when they need help they ask for it. Good cops are what stop all this. And all I hear anyone do is barade and tear down the police. It makes me really sick. Im just glad I dont patrol lorain. Id probably kill myself. Thats what half of you want anyway. No more tickets!….. from corrupt pigs.
Comment from
Mrs. Waldman
November 30, 2008, 8:05 am
Jack, are you sure you are not being paranoid?
While I actually agree with you, it seems to me that you contradict yourself at times. Very interesting.
Write a Comment