Lieutenant Paul Gomez was a corrupt police officer and serial rapist/murderer who targeted immigrants.
Background[]
Gomez was a decorated 20-year veteran of the NYPD who had an excellent record, which helped him rise through the ranks of Lieutenant. Unknown to all, he was actually a serial rapist who targeted immigrant women. Years ago, he raped and murdered Rosa Ortega by burning her alive. A member of the Latin Kings was identified as a suspect, but he fled to Mexico and got away. Drug addict Anna Machado was also raped by him in a warehouse, and he threatened that if she told anyone, he would kill her, but the experience served as a way to get clean.
On the L&O Franchise[]
When Maria Recinos, a detective who reported to Gomez, went to the warehouse to see who abused Ana, Gomez found and burned her to death in the warehouse. It was eventually revealed to Benson that Maria was the victim, so she took the case as she had a personal connection with Maria. Bruno went as a client to bust a sex trafficker named Travis Mitchell, but after a standoff, he was cleared of the murders. Another suspect, Miguel Pinto, had semen on Ana's body, but he was cleared as he was in Staten Island at that time. (L&O: "Play With Fire")
Gomez threatened a priest, Father Alberto, who responded by shooting him. However, Gomez was able to shoot and kill Alberto before being hospitalized for his wounds. After the police zeroed in on him as their prime suspect, he was talked to in his hospital bed about new evidence. Knowing he was guilty, he pushed a button several times to get out of the conversation. Several other victims came out and told the police that they were being repeatedly raped by him. In the courtroom, a prostitute testified that she had sex with Miguel with a condom. Another woman said that she saw Gomez leave before a girl was killed, but Rita Calhoun called her out on her lie. A woman who was also raped by Gomez refused to testify at the start but eventually cooperated to stop him from committing any other crimes. In the end, Gomez was found guilty of three counts of rape and murder, subsequently being imprisoned for life. (SVU: "Play With Fire")
Known Victims[]
- Numerous unnamed women (all raped and threatened)
- Rosa Ortega (repeatedly raped; later burned alive)
- Cassie Reyes (repeatedly raped and threatened)
- Anna Machado (raped and threatened; later strangled to death)
- Detective Maria Recinos (an undercover officer working under him; raped and burned alive)
- Miguel Pinto (framed by putting his DNA on Anna's body)
- Father Alberto (harassed; later shot after getting into a shootout with him)