Former Riverside County Sheriff's deputy arrested for stalking, kidnapping

A former Riverside County Sheriff's Office employee was arrested on suspicion of stalking and kidnapping among other offenses this week. 

The investigation began back on Nov. 27, when a woman alerted deputies that she was allegedly being stalked by a former deputy named Alexander Vanny, said a statement from the department.

"Because Vanny was previously employed and terminated by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office for allegations of sexual assault, the Riverside Sheriff's Special Victims Unit was requested and assumed the investigation," the department said in a statement. 

 Vanny, a 33-year-old Hemet resident, was previously arrested in June after an investigation into the alleged harassment of a woman, volunteering at the department, who said that she was assaulted by a deputy at the Hemet station.

While investigating the matter, detectives found more evidence that led them to determine additional felonies had occurred, the statement said. He was arrested on Thursday morning and booked at the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta later that day. 

On Monday he was charged with stalking, kidnapping, unauthorized use of protected computer data, maliciously destroying a wireless device and committing a felony while on bail.

He remains behind bars without bail after making his court appearance on Monday. He was previously released on $1 million bond after an earlier arrest in June. Vanny was initially placed on administrative leave when the investigation began, but was fired after a few months of investigation.

The criminal complaint says that the victim, only identified as "M.P.G." was abducted by Vanny sometime between May and December. It also alleges that between August and December he "unlawfully, maliciously and repeatedly followed and harassed" the victim. During that time, the complaint also claims that Vanny gleaned specific data from a government computer system, copied it and loaded the information onto his personal device. 

Additionally, the complain alleges that Vanny destroyed a phone in order to prevent it from being used to report a crime to law enforcement. 

While on bail, Vanny was charged with possession of child pornography.

Anyone who knows more is asked to contact investigators at (951) 955-1706.