A Fresno County deputy was ordered Wednesday to surrender his weapons and to stay away from the women who have accused him of sexual assault.
Alejandro Apodaca, 31, of Lemoore appeared in Fresno County Superior Court to be arraigned on five counts, including sexual battery by restraint, assault by a public official, false imprisonment and two counts of sexual battery. The two sexual battery counts are misdemeanors and the others are felonies. He denied the charges.
At least two women said Apodaca sexually assaulted them while he was in uniform and on duty for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges also include aggravating factors because of the deputy’s position as a law enforcement officer, according to the criminal complaint.
Apodaca’s attorney, Michael Aed, said outside the courtroom that it was too early to comment on the case, which was filed on Monday. Apodaca was arrested in May.
He said Apodaca maintains his innocence.
Apodaca went to an apartment on May 10 while on duty and wearing his uniform and allegedly engaged in unwanted and inappropriate sexual contact by touching the woman’s breast, prosecutors say. He also made the woman touch his penis while inside and outside his clothes, telling her to have sex with him, the DA’s Office said.
Earlier in the year, on March 11, the deputy stopped a woman who was driving before approaching her car and taking her cellphone by reaching into the vehicle, prosecutors allege. She moved away from him while inside the car as he attempted unwanted sexual contact, the DA’s Office said.
Fresno County Judge Stephanie Negin ordered Apodaca to surrender his guns and ammo within 24 hours of the hearing. He was also ordered to not contact the alleged victims.
If convicted, Apodaca faces up to five years and four months in jail. A conviction on a qualifying sex offense would also require him to register as a sex offender for life, prosecutors say. He could also lose the ability to possess a gun for 10 years.
The sheriff’s office said Apodaca is on unpaid administrative leave. His certification with California POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) is temporarily suspended pending the investigation.
His preliminary hearing was tentatively set for Oct. 15.
Alejandro Apodaca, 31, a deputy with The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office was arrested and accused of sexual battery. FRESNO POLICE DEPARTMENT
This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 10:09 AM.
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Reporter Thaddeus Miller has covered cities in the central San Joaquin Valley since 2010, writing about everything from breaking news to government and police accountability. A native of Fresno, he joined The Fresno Bee in 2019 after time in Merced and Los Banos.