Sheriff’s detective accused of having affair with suspect’s wife
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective is the subject of an internal investigation looking into accusations that he had an affair with a woman whose husband he had investigated and helped prosecute for allegedly threatening her.
The department opened an investigation into Det. Phillip Solano in April after the allegations were brought forth by the husband, Alberto Gutierrez. Solano, who had been assigned to the City of Industry station, is on administrative duty for now.
A lawyer representing Gutierrez said his client was taken into custody twice in 2008 on charges of violating a restraining order. The criminal charges, which Gutierrez was acquitted of, were meant to hurt his chances in divorce and custody proceedings, he alleges.
Solano “was the investigating detective and he had my client arrested,” attorney Arnoldo Casillas said. “The guy has been put through the ringer.”
During Gutierrez’s trial, Casillas said, information surfaced that Mayela Gutierrez Gil and the detective were Facebook friends who had exchanged messages and calls.
Solano could not be reached for comment.
Gutierrez was charged with several misdemeanors, including making criminal threats, stalking and two counts of disobeying a domestic relations court order. A judge dismissed the stalking charge and one count of disobeying a court order. In April, a jury acquitted Gutierrez of the remaining charges.
During the trial, Gutierrez said, his wife testified that the detective had wanted to be more than just friends. Gutierrez said both his wife and Solano denied they had a romantic relationship.
But Gutierrez said that his mother later hired a private investigator who collected evidence that their relationship was romantic. He declined to elaborate on what the investigator found.
Gutierrez said the criminal allegations came as he tried to regain partial custody of their three daughters, ages 4, 7 and 9.
“No father should have to go through what I went through,” he said.
Gutierrez, 36, filed a complaint Wednesday against the county, his wife and Solano. The lawsuit claims that Solano and Gutierrez Gil hatched a plot to falsely accuse Gutierrez and have him arrested to help her keep custody of the children. His attorney said he hopes for up to $2 million in damages.
Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed the internal investigation of Solano and said the department is taking the allegations seriously.
“We look forward to telling the whole story,” he said. “The whole story is not being told now.”
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