Boston

Boston Firefighter Placed on Leave, Charged With Indecent Assault

A Boston firefighter has been placed on leave and is facing charges after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at a fire station.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday that 37-year-old David Sanchez of the city's Hyde Park neighborhood was arraigned on April 18 on charges of assault and battery and indecent assault and battery. He is accused of attacking a woman on Jan. 14 at the firehouse on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. It’s unclear what led to the three-month lag time between the alleged incident and Sanchez's arraignment.

A source close to the investigation tells NBC10 Boston that the victim is a fellow firefighter.

Boston Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn said Sanchez has been placed on administrative leave while the situation is adjudicated through the courts. He did not say if Sanchez is being paid.

"The Boston Fire Department takes these allegations very seriously and they warrant our full attention," Finn said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation and take swift and appropriate action if and when it is necessary."

Prosecutors recommended bail be set for Sanchez at $2,000, but Judge Mary Ann Driscoll freed him on personal recognizance, ordering him to stay away from the victim.

Nobody answered the door at Sanchez’s home in Hyde Park Thursday evening.

The union that represents firefighters told NBC10 Boston, “The Boston Firefighters Local 718 is aware of the allegations facing one of our members. These allegations are disturbing and do not reflect the values of men and women of the Boston Firefighters Local 718.”

NBC10 Boston's efforts to reach Sanchez and his attorney by phone and by Facebook have been unsuccessful so far.

Sanchez, represented by attorney John Diaz, is due back in court June 13.

Just last month, another Boston firefighter was arrested for drunken driving just one day before he was scheduled to retire. Firefighter Sean Ingram allegedly called Massachusetts State Police troopers "Nazis" and "Nazi scumbags" as he was being arrested.

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