Orlando police detective won't be charged in sexual battery case

Det. Burgos accused of forced oral sex, records show

ORLANDO, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office has decided it will not press charges against Orlando police Detective Angel Burgos after he was accused of sexual battery on a victim in another case, according to records obtained by News 6.

Chief Assistant State Attorney Deborah Barra said in a letter to Orlando Police Chief John Mina that after reviewing the facts of the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, she will not be proceeding with formal charges against Burgos.

The woman who accused Burgos spoke exclusively with News 6.

"I felt as though they didn't believe me. I was telling them the truth," said the woman, who will not be identified.

The veteran detective was accused of forcing a woman to perform oral sex in his patrol car on Dec. 15 while he was on duty, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation report.

“I believe there is sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that sexual activity took place,” the letter reads. “However, I cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the activity was coerced of forced.”

"I'm in a detective's car. He's on duty. Every time I see him, he's wearing a weapon, so I know there's a weapon in the vehicle," the woman told News 6. "I didn't think I had a choice. He took advantage of his position, and he took advantage of the fact that I was someone who is very vulnerable. I was in a very vulnerable position."

[Watch the exclusive interview above with the OPD detective's accuser]

Burgos has been on paid administrative leave since the end of December after the complaint was made against him on Dec. 20.

According to FDLE records, Burgos declined through a lawyer to provide a statement about the incident.

On the day of the incident, Burgos called the victim to discuss her case, which he was assigned to, and asked to come to her house, according to the report.

The woman got in Burgos' unmarked patrol car, where the incident occurred, records show.

Despite the state attorney’s decision to not press charges against the detective, the woman said the sex was not consensual.

“Chief Mina has said there isn't a problem with misconduct in his department. He claims his officers have simply made 'bad decisions,’” the victim told News 6, addressing Chief John Mina’s comment to the Orlando Sentinel about the six OPD officers recently investigated and stripped of their badges.

“The sexual assault I suffered wasn't simply a hiccup, and I'm devastated Chief Mina would suggest otherwise,” she said. “The assault was a series of callous, selfish and nefarious decisions made by Detective Angel Burgos toward me while he was on duty representing the Orlando Police Department.”

A spokesperson for the Orlando Police Department said an internal investigation is "just now beginning" to determine if Burgos violated protocol while on duty and did not know when it would be complete.

In Burgos’ history at OPD since 1999, four other complaints have been filed against him, according to his file.

In 2009, OPD received a phone complaint, which Internal Affairs investigated, saying that Burgos failed to provide evidence of someone being “groped” at the downtown Orlando library.

His annual performance reviews show that Burgos usually received "excellent" ratings from his supervisors.


About the Authors:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.