DOUGLAS, Ariz. — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in southern Arizona.
Officer Aaron Mitchell, 27, was taken into custody Tuesday by Douglas police after the teenage girl accused Mitchell of assaulting her in a Sierra Vista apartment.
Detectives learned Mitchell allegedly approached the teen on her way to school near Pan American and G Avenue on Monday.
Police said Mitchell identified himself as a law enforcement officer and asked her for documentation. The girl also told police Mitchell was wearing a tactical vest labeled "POLICE."
The teen said after checking her documentation, Mitchell allegedly told her he was going to take her to the police department.
According to Douglas police, Mitchell restrained the girl, put her in his vehicle and then drove her to an apartment in Sierra Vista where he is accused of sexually assaulting her.
Police said Mitchell drove the girl back to Douglas after the alleged sexual assault.
Sierra Vista police helped Douglas police Detectives arrest Mitchell on Tuesday. He was booked into the Cochise County jail on sexual misconduct with a minor charges.
The investigation is ongoing.
According to Douglas Police, at the time of the arrest, Mitchell was an employee of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.
CBP released the following statement to News 4 Tucson on the arrest:
"On April 25, 2022, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer assigned at the Port of Douglas, Arizona was arrested by the Douglas Police Department for sexual misconduct with a minor. The officer is currently employed by CBP. All questions regarding this investigation should be referred to the Douglas Police Department in Douglas, AZ...
CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe. We do not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and we cooperate fully with all criminal or administrative investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, whether it occurs on or off duty."