Bradenton officer accused of using law enforcement databases to find women
BRADENTON, Fla. March 10 2019 — Bradenton Police said a former sergeant used police databases to target hundreds of women for dates and even had sex on the job.
Former Sgt. Leonel Marines resigned last year amidst an internal investigation into his conduct. He had already been stripped of his badge and gun and placed on administrative leave.
“Had Marines not resigned, he would have been fired,” Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan said.
Police interviewed nearly 150 women as part of the internal investigation. One of them, who spoke exclusively to 10News, said she moved after a visit from a detective conducting the investigation.
“The detective came, he showed me a picture, asked me if I knew him,” Kelli Blake explained.
Blake said the detective had a thick file filled with other women Marines had looked up using police databases. She said she moved after that because she was worried about her safety.
“I think it’s really creepy,” Blake said.
Blake told the detective she had never seen Marines before in her life. When the department announced the findings of its internal investigation Thursday, Blake immediately recognized his picture.
“I just thought it was crazy,” Blake said. “I knew it was him because I had seen the picture the detective had shown me.”
Police said Marines had been doing this since 2012, but they only found out last year when the family of a woman he followed came forward.
The investigation is still open and that the FBI is investigating. Anyone who may have been involved in this case or with Marines is asked to call the FBI office at 813-253-1000.
10 News
