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NYPD cops sentenced for sexually abusing intoxicated woman while off duty
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jan 12, 2026
Modified Jan 12, 2026
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Tillsonburg / Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Jan 12, 2026
Modified Jan 12, 2026
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Two former NYPD officers whom prosecutors say sexually abused an intoxicated woman while off duty in 2023 have been sentenced to probation and sex offender treatment programs as part of a plea agreement, according to the Bronx district attorney's office.
Julio Alcantara-Santiago, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual abuse in September of last year. He was sentenced last week to six years of probation and must also register as a sex offender under the state Sex Offender Registration Act. Christian Garcia, 34, pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse and was sentenced to one year of probation. Both men are mandated to complete sex offender treatment programs, prosecutors said.
The two men were arrested in April 2024 while still working at the NYPD after submitting mouth swabs that matched their DNA with a swab collected from the woman’s breast at the time of the incident, Garcia’s attorney previously said. The officers were originally charged with sexual abuse, sexual misconduct and forcible touching.
“These two defendants took advantage of a woman who was intoxicated and thus unable to give consent,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement Monday. “They are paying a severe price for their actions. ... They have been held accountable and hopefully the victim can move on with her life."
According to prosecutors, on July 9, 2023, Alcantara-Santiago and Garcia were drinking alcohol with the victim at a Bronx night spot, when she became heavily intoxicated. Surveillance video captured the men leaving the venue with the victim, holding her up by her arms, the DA’s office said. They were then seen on surveillance video assisting her into an apartment building where Alcantara-Santiago lives, prosecutors said.
The next morning, the victim went to a local hospital, and medical testing identified DNA on the victim was later matched to the Alcantara-Santiago and Garcia, according to the DA’s office.
Garcia's attorney, Peter Brill, said his client took the plea deal, admitting to a misdemeanor charge, because of the threat of stricter penalties under a felony conviction. Alcantara-Santiago's attorney did not immediately return a message seeking content Monday.
This story has been updated with more information.
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Catalina Gonella
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