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Cop: Bad Lieutenant Sent Penis Shots, Pervy Texts
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 9, 2010
Modified Nov 9, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 9, 2010
Modified Nov 9, 2010
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A Bronx cop with the Transit Task Force has accused a lieutenant of wanton sexual harassment. Prosecutors are investigating Officer Shemalisca Vasquez's allegations that Lt. Ruben Caban exposed himself to her last February, then followed up the meat-and-greet by sending her photos of penises and explicit text messages. It all started, according to Vasquez, when the two were in a room at the Elder Avenue subway station during a stakeout and Caban broke out his junk.
"I was in shock and asked him if he's crazy and what is he doing and to put it away," Vasquez, 32, said in a statement provided to the Daily News. "I then left the room feeling embarrassed, scared, nervous, humiliated, disrespected and in shock." In the following months, Caban allegedly emailed "several closeup shots of a man's penis, including one which appeared to have been taken in the transit police command on Morris Park Ave." One photo showed a penis and a banana in front of a woman's mouth, with the subject line, "Take a look and compare size." A ribald text message from Caban allegedly read, "I wish was was strapped to ur leg after seeing you in those tights. LOL."
It's unclear how Vasquez resisted such romantic overtures, but resist she did, and reported Caban to the Feds and the Internal Affairs Bureau. A female supervisor allegedly warned her not to bother with Internal Affairs, because they "don't help women," and lo and behold, when Vasquez went there for a meeting, she discovered "a refrigerator magnet of a monkey eating a banana in the office of the Bronx IAB's commanding officer where she was being interviewed." A monkey with a banana?! That sick sonofabitch!
Her lawyer claims a lieutenant "apologized for such a highly offensive display, at worst it's indicative of the frat boy culture in the department." It's the magnet that has the commenters on NYPD Rant rolling their eyes; as one wag puts it, "What in God's name does that have to do with the price of eggs? Does Curious George and the man in the Yellow Hat give her PTSD?"
Tagged
bad lieutenant
bronx
nypd
Ruben Caban
sexual harassment
shemalisca vasquez
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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