Las Vegas police officer arrested for child abuse, assault

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has announced the arrest of one of its officers, Officer Joseph Ortega, on four felony charges. According to the LVMPD media release, Ortega was booked into the Clark County Detention Center and is now facing two counts of child abuse or neglect and two counts of assault domestic violence involving the use of a deadly weapon.

Ortega, a member of the department since 2017, is currently assigned to the West Community Policing Division, Northwest Area Command. The release further states that Ortega will be placed on suspension of police powers without pay, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 21 in Clark County Justice Court.