Cayucos firefighter pleads not guilty to rape, drug charges
The Cayucos Fire Department captain accused of rape involving a teenage girl made his first appearance in court Wednesday, the same day investigators arrested a second person in connection with the case.
In San Luis Obispo Superior Court, Oscar Higueros Jr., 38, pleaded not guilty to 33 charges filed against him Tuesday by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
Higueros is facing 12 counts of forcible rape, 12 counts of forced oral copulation, three counts of forced sodomy and one count of attempting to dissuade a witness.
He is additionally being charged with three counts of selling or transporting a controlled substance — cocaine, according to prosecutors — one count of possession of cocaine and one count of possessing marijuana for sale, all felonies.
His attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu of San Luis Obispo, said following the hearing that he met with Higueros but had only been provided a fraction of the alleged evidence against him as of Wednesday afternoon.
“From what I have seen I’m convinced that this is wrong, and that’s why we pleaded not guilty today,” Funke-Bilu said. “My client is a firefighter. He saves lives, he doesn’t destroy lives.”
According to a complaint filed by prosecutors, Higueros is accused of sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old female. The rape charges carry a maximum of eight years in state prison each, and the narcotics charges carry between three to five years in County Jail apiece, according to court records.
At Higueros’ arraignment, Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Duffy approved a request by Deputy District Attorney Greg Devitt to raise Higueros’ bail by $200,000 to a total of $1.2 million and issued a restraining order prohibiting any contact with the alleged victim.
According to Cayucos Fire Department Chief Mike Minetti, Higueros was a paid volunteer with the department in the role of captain and remains on unpaid administrative leave.
He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 15.
Also on Wednesday, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office announced it had arrested San Francisco resident Richard Scott Brooks, 38, on Tuesday evening in Fremont in relation to the case.
Brooks was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of rape, sodomy and oral copulation. He remained in custody in lieu of $1 million bail Wednesday afternoon.
The DA’s Office had not yet filed formal charges against Brooks on Wednesday.
This story was originally published September 3, 2014 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Cayucos firefighter pleads not guilty to rape, drug charges."