Miami-Dade police lieutenant accused of molesting girl held without bond

Braulio Gonzalez, 44, also ordered to have no contact with victim

MIAMI – A Miami-Dade police lieutenant accused of molesting a girl over the course of two years appeared in court Friday, where he was ordered to be held without bond.

"I am ordering you to stay away from the victim. No contact with the victim," the judge told Braulio Gonzalez. 

"Yes, ma'am," Gonzalez replied.

Gonzalez, 44, a 19-year veteran of the force, was arrested Thursday by his own agency on accusations that he molested the victim from 2011 to 2013, when she was between the ages of 8 and 10.

According to the arrest warrant, the victim told her psychologist Sept. 5 about what had happened to her.

The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified and interviewed the child.

According to the warrant, the girl said Gonzalez fondled her breasts, buttocks and vagina over and underneath her clothing.

The victim told investigators the police lieutenant also forced her to touch him inappropriately.

According to the warrant, the victim recalled to detectives the first time she was sexually assaulted by Gonzalez, saying she was awakened by him pointing a gun at her head.

Police said the victim claimed Gonzalez told her he would kill her and a loved one who was sleeping in another bed in the same bedroom if she didn't follow him.

Authorities said Gonzalez then led the girl to his bedroom, where he had her lay down on his bed and molested her.

The arrest warrant stated Gonzalez also forced the child to touch his penis. 

Gonzalez faces numerous charges, including four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 and one count of armed kidnapping of a child under 13.

"To say that I am shocked and disturbed at these serious allegations is an understatement," Miami-Dade Police Director Juan J. Perez said in a statement Thursday. "As I have said before, no one is above the law, and I offer the victim in the case my assurance of our commitment to a thorough investigation."

Gonzalez most recently worked as a member of the Police Department's special patrol bureau.
 


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

Alex Finnie joined the Local 10 News team in May 2018. South Florida is home! She was raised in Miami and attended the Cushman School and New World School of the Arts for high school.