Firefighter accused of sexually assaulting women fired from Cal Fire post

MURRIETA, Calif. (KESQ) - A 51-year-old firefighter accused of sexually assaulting three women -- including while he was on duty in Temecula -- is no longer on the Cal Fire payroll, officials confirmed today.   

David Renteria III of Placentia was arrested in April following a sheriff's department investigation initiated last fall.   

Renteria pleaded not guilty Friday to four counts of forcible rape, two counts of sodomy and one count each of kidnapping to commit rape, forcible oral copulation, assault with intent to commit rape, false imprisonment, sexual battery and indecent exposure, with sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting multiple individuals in sex crimes.   

He's slated to appear for a bail-setting conference on July 22 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. The defendant is being held in lieu of $7 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

On Jan. 4, Renteria was placed on indefinite leave from his job as a firefighter-paramedic with the Riverside County Fire Department. However, on Monday, fire officials confirmed that he had been served with "termination paperwork'' while in custody.

The total number of years he worked in the county, which has long contracted with Cal Fire for fire protection services, wasn't specified.

The District Attorney's Office's complaint identified the three alleged victims by their initials.

Few details about the alleged sexual assaults were provided in the prosecution's documents. However, earlier this week, Los Angeles-based attorney David Ring filed a claim on behalf of one of the women, notifying Cal Fire of the woman's intent to sue the agency stemming from Renteria's alleged criminal acts.

The claim's narrative provided a brief overview of the victim's encounter with the defendant in November.

Few details about the alleged sexual assaults were provided in the prosecution's documents. However, earlier this week, Los Angeles-based attorney David Ring filed a claim on behalf of one of the women, notifying Cal Fire of the woman's intent to sue the agency stemming from Renteria's alleged criminal acts.

The claim's narrative provided a brief overview of the victim's encounter with the defendant in November.

"This is shocking behavior, particularly from a firefighter on duty -- someone who is hired to protect our communities," Ring said. "Renteria must be held accountable, and Cal Fire must answer for how this was allowed to happen."  

The plaintiff evidently met the defendant last fall, and one night in November, he invited her to visit him at his workplace -- Station No. 96 on Glen Oaks Road in Temecula, according to the civil case brief.

Shortly after her arrival, Renteria led her to a "shed in the back of the station,'' the document said.

"Renteria immediately forced himself on her, violently raping her multiple times and forcing her to orally copulate him,'' according to the brief. "Renteria also made claimant walk back to the fire station, naked, so that he could take pictures of her wearing his firefighter turnouts. After taking numerous photos of her inside the station, Renteria took her back to the shed, where he continued to sexually assault her.''

The woman was sodomized during the six-hour ordeal, according to the criminal complaint. When she asked to leave the shed in the middle of the night, Renteria allegedly threatened to harm her children, the plaintiff said.   

He ultimately released her at 5 a.m. the next day as daylight appeared on the horizon, according to the narrative. There was no word on where the other fire personnel were at the time, and no explanation for the inactive status of the station for the entire night.

The victim relayed her alleged experiences to a friend, identified only as a retired firefighter, soon afterward, and that individual in turn contacted the sheriff's department.

Ring is not representing the other two women.   

The criminal filing said another woman allegedly was assaulted over an unspecified period last fall. Prosecutors alleged she was sodomized and abused in other ways. The exact circumstances were not divulged.   

In the case of the third woman, the alleged attack on her largely involved battering and groping her sexually, all of which occurred in November, according to the prosecution. No other details were disclosed.

"Cal Fire has fully cooperated with the sheriff's office throughout this investigation and appreciates their ongoing efforts to seek justice,'' the agency said last week. "We remain committed to supporting the process and ensuring accountability."

He was first taken into custody on April 24 and posted an unspecified bond, after which he was released. Jail records indicated that he was re-arrested at his residence on Magnolia Avenue by deputies a few days later.   

The claim against Cal Fire listed negligence, as well as state and federal civil rights violations, as the causes of action for the proposed lawsuit, which will include requests for compensatory and punitive damages. However, the amounts won't be established until after a formal civil complaint has been filed, likely by the end of this month.