Second woman claims abuse by officer

A second woman has filed a claim alleging a Huntington Beach police officer abused her.

Aileen Mignosa, 27, filed a claim with the city March 10 accusing Officer James Roberts III of assaulting her and city officials of conspiring to cover up the officer’s behavior. Mignosa is asking for an unknown amount greater than $10,000 for alleged emotional distress, physical injury and loss of earnings. A claim is the precursor to a lawsuit.

Roberts’ ex-wife filed a lawsuit in November alleging various city employees covered up her husband’s abuse and allowed it to continue.

Mignosa claims Roberts has been sexually, physically and verbally assaulting her since April 2008. Her attorney couldn’t be immediately reached Thursday.

Mignosa wrote in her claim that she reported the abuse by calling911 and the Huntington Beach Police Department, but alleges that police reports were never taken. She alleges city employees conspired to cover up the abuse.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Ken Small said he couldn’t comment on the claim.

Roberts was charged with 17 felony counts and pleaded not guilty in February to charges that he abused his wife and girlfriend following an investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

He was charged with false imprisonment by violence or deceit, making criminal threats, domestic battery, aggravated assault, dissuading a witness and vandalism. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in state prison.

Roberts is on administrative leave, but still collecting a full paycheck of $7,275 a month while the police department concludes an in-house investigation.

Roberts has been out on $250,000 bail and is expected to begin pretrial and a preliminary hearing in April.