ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The now-former Albuquerque cop accused of raping a woman in a closet at the Sunport took the stand for more than two hours. He used his time to go into detail about what he said happened behind that closet door.
Johnny Garcia claimed it was the 19-year-old woman’s idea to go into that closet, and she initiated everything once they were in there.
“At that point we were friends. We would flirt. We’d keep it flirty with each other, and I guess a little more personal. We started to learn things about each other,” said Garcia.
The former police officer said the Sunport worker made him feel special, enjoying her company and the compliments she gave him, “She said I looked good that day, and I responded, I told her she was cute,” said Garcia.
Garcia, who was stationed at the Sunport, claimed the 19-year-old woman asked him to find a spot where they could be alone together, saying she led him into an elevator and down to the baggage claim area.
“She asked, again, if there is somewhere we can go to be alone, and I told her it’s not that easy because I am at work, and I felt more pressured by that.” Eventually, Garcia said he found an empty closet, a closet she claims he lured her into. “I hear a knock at the door, so I open the door, and she comes in, and we close the door behind her,” Garcia said.
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The accuser has testified Garcia made advances on her and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Garcia claimed it was the worker who initiated the contact and everything that happened afterward was consensual.
“She begins to move towards me in my space and her lips are puckered as to kiss me and I let her, and we begin kissing.”
Garcia said the two of them even joke around about what they just did moments after leaving the closet. The closing arguments are Friday.
Garcia resigned last year after being charged.