08/31/2011
By Sean Webby
A veteran San Jose police officer was arrested Wednesday on charges that he engaged in sexual acts with two teenage boys.
Patrick D'Arrigo, 44, was taken into custody by Gilroy police at the San Jose police department around 3: 30 p.m. and booked on charges of unlawful sex activity with a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy. The victims were not identified by police because of their ages. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
D'Arrigo, who was a campus officer at Leland High School in San Jose from 1996 to 2007, was indicted earlier in the day by a grand jury, sources told this newspaper.
Santa Clara County District Attorney's office had no comment in the case. But D'Arrigo is expected to be arraigned later this week.
"This is a difficult time in the department.'' said San Jose Police Chief Chris Moore. "I'm extremely concerned about the nature of the crime and it's my concern that there may be other victims.''
The chief asked any further victims and witnesses to immediately call their local police departments.
The Gilroy Police Department released little information on the case.
"We have a legal constraint to release further information,'' said Police Sgt. Chad Gallacinao. "But in the days to come we expect to release more.''
Gilroy police reportedly began to investigate D'Arrigo two years ago, according to sources.
In April 2009, the Gilroy police received information about D'Arrigo having parties at his home, providing alcoholic beverages to minors and having sex with them, sources said. During their investigation, the police identified the two minors as possible molest victims.
But no charges were filed.
Recently a witness came forward that prompted the District Attorney's office to bring the case to a secret grand jury, according to sources.
D'Arrigo, a Gilroy resident, was one of two San Jose police officers who allegedly covered up a 2008 DUI-crash involving Sandra Woodall, a former police officer.
Witnesses at the time said a belligerent and disoriented Woodall was openly admitting soon after the accident that she had been drinking. But both D'Arrigo and a San Jose Police sergeant said they saw no signs of intoxication. This despite the fact that medical personnel on the scene believed she was drunk and later told San Jose police investigators they felt the sergeant had tried to disrupt their attempts to determine her level of sobriety.
Later, at the hospital, D'Arrigo reportedly told the mother of the accident victim that it was too late to test Woodall for alcohol.
A grand jury decided not to charge either officer. After an internal police inquiry, then-Chief Rob Davis decided in 2009 to fire the two cops for failing to properly investigate the accident.
But following a length arbitration, they were reinstated last year and rejoined the force in December.
Any one who wishes to contact the Gilroy police department about the allegations against D'Arrigo can call 408-846-0350.
