FDLE agents today arrested Maria Liduvina Reyes, 44, of 1413 Gray Street SE in Palm Bay, for falsely reporting that she had been sexually assaulted by a law enforcement officer. Reyes faces two charges: false reports to law enforcement authorities and falsely accusing a law enforcement officer.
Agents launched an investigation in March 2018 when a complaint was filed that Reyes was a victim of sexual battery by a Melbourne Police Sergeant. Reyes made the allegation after she was arrested for trespass in February at La Vela Restaurant in Melbourne. After arriving at the Brevard County Jail that night, Reyes told a corrections officer the sergeant had been abusive and had sexually battered her.
During the course of the investigation and upon interviewing witnesses, agents determined Reyes made several contradictory and false statements about the night of the arrest. Agents learned Reyes was not truthful about her behavior before police arrived on the scene and she was not alone with the sergeant when she claimed the sexual incident occurred.
Reyes was taken to the Brevard County Jail on a $2,500 bond. The case will be prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office, 18th Judicial Circuit.
