A Travis County grand jury has indicted an Austin Fire arson investigator who turned himself in Wednesday afternoon on four charges including sexual assault.
KVUE's Tony Plohetski first reported this investigation in September. A search warrant alleges that last spring, a Fire Lieutenant Marcus Reed used his status as a law enforcement officer to lure a stranded woman into his city-owned fire truck near Interstate 35 and St. Elmo Road in South Austin. Police said he then drove her to an area and sexually assaulted her.
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Reed has been charged with two felonies -- sexual assault and misuse of official information, according to newly unsealed documents obtained by Plohetski. He is also charged with two misdemeanors -- abuse of official capacity and official oppression. Reed has been released on bond on those charges.
Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr released the following statement:
"I will be suspending Lt. Reed without pay from the Austin Fire Department. Once his case has worked its way through the legal system, I will determine any action that needs to be taken with regard to his employment with AFD."
Lt. Reed is the second AFD lieutenant to be charged with a crime in recent weeks. Another retired last year amid accusations that he set up a hidden camera in a women's locker room. That case is still pending.
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