Ex-SF firefighter a suspect in sex assault - San Francisco Chronicle
Horacio Candia Jr. , 48, was a battalion chief's driver until he was fired in 2000. Police said he used a badge to pass himself off as a firefighter on Aug. "He said, 'I'm a firefighter, everybody loves us, you can trust me. ' ". Candia allegedly drove the woman to 16th and Carolina streets, an industrial area, and forced her to perform sex acts before she was able to get away and call police. He has been charged with three counts of forcing a victim to perform sex acts, one count of sexual battery, one count of terrorist threats and one count of false imprisonment. He may be driving a green, four-door 2001 Mitsubishi Diamante, California license number 5GSH121 or with paper plates. Police say they have also interviewed prostitutes who say they have encountered Candia on the street. One of them said he showed her a badge, but that she refused to go with him, Economus said. Typically, firefighters are ordered to surrender their badge upon dismissal, but Fire Department officials investigating the incident say Candia may have kept one of his from a previous rank. Source: www.sfgate.com
