A former Riverside police officer will not face criminal charges for allegedly stalking and sexually assaulting a woman he had pulled over while on duty, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Henry Otoniel Ventura of Menifee was a rookie police officer with only 16 months on the force before he resigned in July 2025, less than two months after his 25-year-old accuser reported him to the Police Department, which launched an internal affairs investigation. She subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against the city and Ventura in August, alleging he sexually assaulted her under the color of authority.
The lawsuit, which identifies the woman as a Jane Doe, alleges Ventura used her email, provided during a May 9, 2025, traffic stop, to contact her. He then asked her for her phone number and called her more than 30 times over the course of several days, including from a Police Department phone line.
On May 14, 2025, according to the suit, Ventura showed up at the woman’s residence unannounced and in uniform, where he allegedly touched the woman’s vaginal area and tried to get her to touch his penis, which she refused to do. He showed up again days later at the apartment, again unannounced, and the woman refused to let him in, the lawsuit alleged.
A few days later, according to the lawsuit, Ventura showed up at the woman’s apartment a third time, only this time was more aggressive. When she refused to let him in, Ventura allegedly threatened her and said: “I’m a police officer and you need to obey me!” When she opened the front door, Ventura forced his way in and forced the woman into the bedroom, where he allegedly grabbed her breasts, touched her vaginal area, and then grabbed her shoulders and “forcibly pushed her head down” to perform oral sex on him as she pleaded for him to stop, according to the lawsuit.
“You need to listen to what I tell you. This is normal,” Ventura allegedly told the woman. “Stop acting like you’re scared.”
Riverside County prosecutors reviewed the case for months, but, in the end, believed the evidence would not be enough to sway a jury.
“After several internal reviews and discussions, our office did not file charges due to a lack of sufficient evidence needed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury,” Riverside County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Molly Smith said in an email.
Ventura’s certification to work as a police officer in California remains temporarily suspended, according to the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, the agency that certifies peace officers who meet minimum training, education and experience standards.
Ventura’s attorney, William Price, declined to comment Friday, March 13, citing the pending litigation.
Darren Harris, the alleged victim’s attorney, said he doesn’t believe the civil case will be affected by the lack of criminal charges against Ventura.
“In fact, it will now expedite the civil case because there will be no stalling due to any criminal case ongoing,” Harris said Friday.
He noted that the burden of proof is much higher in criminal cases than in civil court. Criminal cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt to determine guilt, whereas civil cases require only a preponderance of the evidence — meaning it is more likely than not that the allegation is true. Additionally, criminal juries must reach unanimous verdicts while civil juries do not.