A 35-year-old Chowchilla police officer has been placed on administrative leave following his arrest on rape charges by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Tyler Hormel of the Chowchilla Police Department has been a School Resource Officer since 2013. Lt. Bill Ward declined to state the number of victims in this case and stressed that no crime took place at the schools in which Hormel had worked.
According to the Merced Sun-Star:
He was booked into the Madera County Jail on one count of oral copulation with a minor, two counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child age 14 or 15, and four counts of forcible rape.
Hormel has been with the department for twelve years, and had been the Resource Officer for Chowchilla Elementary School District.
Chowchilla Police Chief Dave Riviere declined to comment, and only released this statement;
“Unfortunately this is all a personnel matter, and we’re trying to sort all of that out right now.”
No comments were made about the campuses in which Hormel was scheduled towards as an officer, and Chief Riviere has vowed to make no further comments until having consoled with city attorneys.