Last summer, on July 12, 2018, Victor Madarang of Stockton (24) was sworn in to serve in the Milpitas Police Department. His employment barely lasted 6 months, with his employment ending on January 8, 2019.
Madarang’s path toward exiting began in December, when he filed a police report describing an event that didn’t corroborate with what had actually occurred. In the midst of the event, a marked police vehicle had sustained minor damage.
Milpitas Police Department Chief Armando Corpuz explained to The Milpitas Beat, “The officer was involved in a solo vehicle accident; it was minor. It was with a fixed object. There was no one else involved, no one else that was affected by it. And he wrote a statement, a police report, with inaccurate information…His documentation of the accident was false.”
Madarang inaccurately depicting what happened amounted to Filing A False Police Report (California Penal Code 118.1). An impartial review by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office led to charges for that crime being filed (which does not occur unless the falsified information is of a significant nature).
In an email, MPD Captain Jared Hernandez wrote to The Beat, “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time we at Milpitas Police have experienced this.”
In a press release issued by the MPD, they addressed the community directly, writing, “The Milpitas Police Department would like the community to know the organization looked into this matter promptly. Earning and maintaining the community’s trust is a cornerstone of effective policing. We remain committed to holding ourselves to the highest standards and working with our community to provide professional and responsive services. We thank you for entrusting us to serve you on a daily basis.”
Chief Corpuz added by phone, “I appreciate the support from the Santa Clara County DA’s Office in working with us on this case.”
In California, Filing A False Police Report is a wobbler — meaning it can be tried as either a misdemeanor or a felony. When charged with the crime as a misdemeanor, officers face summary probation and up to a year of jail-time. When charged with the crime as a felony, officers face formal probation with up to a year of jail-time, or a 16-month, 2-year, or 3-year term in state prison.
Madarang is being charged with a felony. A $10,000 warrant was out for his arrest, but he turned himself in to the authorities this morning.
