ON April 2, 2024, a female inmate filed a complaint of rape that she said happened in her cell pod, Variety learned.
Asked about the incident, Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres issued the following statement to reporters: “I want you all to know that I take all allegations and investigations related to this claim very seriously. Rest assured my department, along with the Department of Public Safety, is diligently looking into this matter or any other related matters.”
Torres declined to provide details.
According to the female inmate, she was raped by a male inmate, Gerald Sablan, who managed to enter the female cell pod.
After a roll call/shake down, the two inmates were found together in her cell pod.
She said Sablan forced her to have sex with him.
She was brought to the hospital where it was confirmed that there were signs of sexual contact.
Variety learned that Commissioner Torres were at the hospital during her examination. (DPS Public Information Officer Fred Sato was not with Torres as previously reported.)
Variety also learned that there were two or three Corrections officers involved in a related breach of security incident, and that among them is a former Corrections Internal Affairs officer.
According to Variety news files, the female inmate was arrested for burglary and theft in September 2023.
Sablan, for his part, was caught in May 2023 with a cell phone and was posting photos and videos of himself smoking meth while inside his cell pod.
