PUTNEY, Vt. — A former Vermont State Police trooper who was trying to rejoin the agency is now behind bars facing charges after authorities said a new background check revealed he allegedly assaulted a woman while he was still a trooper.
Roel Y. Diaz, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arrested Wednesday by Vermont State Police, according to a Wednesday news release from State Police spokesman Adam Silverman.
Diaz faces charges of first-degree aggravated domestic assault, domestic assault, interference with access to emergency services and stalking.
He was ordered held without bail pending arraignment on the charges on Friday afternoon in Windham County Superior criminal court in Brattleboro.
It wasn’t immediately known how he pleaded.
According to the news release, Diaz was hired in July 2015 as a trooper, working out of the Brattleboro and Westminster barracks. He worked as a trooper until Aug. 19, 2017, when he resigned for personal reasons, according to the release.
This spring, Diaz wanted to rejoin the Vermont State Police, prompting a re-employment background investigation started by a detective out of the St. Johnsbury barracks on June 17.
“As a result, investigators learned that Mr. Diaz had physically assaulted a household member and pointed a handgun at her while making statements about using the handgun on the victim in the town of Putney on Feb. 25, 2017,” the release stated.
Diaz allegedly also stalked the household member around the time of the assault, and took her cellphone before the assault, according to the release.
Asked whether state police were aware of allegations against Diaz in February 2017, or if the incident was ever reported to state police or any other law enforcement agency, Silverman responded by email that police did not seem to have knowledge of the allegations at the time.
“We have no information at this time to indicate that anyone in law enforcement was aware of the assault and related offenses when they occurred, or that the victim made any previous reports to the authorities,” Silverman said.
More information about the case is expected.