RIVERSIDE – Arraignment was continued to next month for a Menifee police officer, now on administrative leave, who has been charged with sexual assault of two adult victims.

Juan Jose Pesina Jr., DOB: 8-31-92, appeared at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta on Aug. 14 to be arraigned. At the request of the defense and granted by the court, his arraignment was continued to Sept. 2, at 8:30 a.m. in Dept. S204.

Pesina has been charged by the DA’s Office with eight felonies and faces a possible life sentence in prison if convicted as currently charged.

In the criminal complaint filed on Aug. 14, due to a clerical error by the DA’s Office, there is language in count two that does not apply to this case. In that count, a section was incorrectly included electronically that alleged the victim in that count was a minor. As seen in counts one and three with the same victim, no allegation of the victim being a minor was included. Both victims in the criminal complaint are adults.

The DA’s Office is in the process of amending the complaint with the proper verbiage for count two.

Pesina’s bail was initially set at $1 million. Due to public safety concerns, our office argued for a bail increase and the court ruled to hold the defendant without bail.

The case, FESW2501665, remains under investigation and is being prosecuted by Managing Deputy DA Jess Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit.

Additional victims are encouraged to contact Master Investigator J. Andrade with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at 951-955-1701.