by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com and Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Former Claremont Police Department officer Gabriel Arellanes, accused of felony forced oral copulation after a February 2024 arrest of a Highland woman, is due to be arraigned in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court next Wednesday, April 30.

The criminal case against Arellanes, 32, is proceeding alongside a separate, wide-ranging civil case, in which the 38-year-old plaintiff, known as “Jane Doe” in court filings, is seeking up to $25 million in damages from Arellanes, the City of Claremont, and 10 city employees named as “John Does.”

In the civil complaint, filed October 4, 2024, the plaintiff alleges Arellanes forced her to perform oral sex on him after he arrested her for possession of drug paraphernalia near Mt. Baldy Road in Claremont on February 16, 2024. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office filed a felony criminal charge of forced oral copulation against Arellanes on March 7 of this year. He was arrested by officers from the SB County Sheriff Department’s Specialized Investigations Division on March 14 and released the following day after posting bail.

The City of Claremont learned of the allegations against Arellanes nearly a year prior, on March 18, 2024, when a liability claim was filed. Arellanes was placed on paid administrative leave and his peace officer powers were suspended. He remained on paid leave while under investigation and resigned on January 29 of this year. The city paid Arellanes $76,574, during the near 11 months he was on paid leave.

If convicted in the criminal case, Arellanes could face up to eight years in state prison and be compelled to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.