Former Peoria Police officer accused of unauthorized access to criminal history information

PEORIA, Ariz. - Officials with Peoria Police Department say a former police officer is accused of having unauthorized access to criminal history information.

According to a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Amaury Fernandez resigned from the department on September 5, after he was placed on administrative leave. Officials say the department began an internal investigation and a subsequent criminal investigation after it was notified of the alleged violation.

Amaury Fernandez

According to documents by Peoria Police, the incident began to unfold on July 31, when a 19-year-old woman told Peoria Police that she was approached by a co-worker at work. The co-worker said he was sorry that she was molested when she was eight years old. When asked how the co-worker came to know about the woman's past, the co-worker said he learned about it from Fernandez, who is a friend of the co-worker.

The co-worker, according to police documents, said Fernandez looked up the information during a ride-along with the co-worker, as the co-worker wanted to make sure the woman has a clean record, and also because the co-worker was trying to date the woman. Records show Fernandez queried the woman in the system three times on the night of July 27, and found the confidential information on a second try.

Data stored in the Arizona Criminal Justice Information and Identification System (ACJIS) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) are confidential, according to Peoria Police, and employees accessing or viewing ACJIS information need to have a job-related reason to do so.

The criminal investigation, according to Peoria Police, was sent to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review and charges.