Long Beach : Rape Charges Dismissed

Rape charges against Long Beach Police Officer Robert L. Ballew have been dismissed because prosecutors say a 20-year-old Navy woman lied when she accused him of attacking her last fall.

Superior Court Judge David Horowitz agreed to throw out the charges last week after Deputy Dist. Atty. Candace J. Beason reported that the woman had given conflicting statements about the alleged attack.

Ballew, 39, is an 11-year veteran who was suspended upon his arrest in February. He has been allowed to return to his job in the Community Relations Section. Lt. John Bretza said Ballew still faces a department internal investigation and could be disciplined.

Ballew had met the woman at a downtown restaurant while off duty on Oct. 11, 1985, and had allegedly agreed to drive her back to a Navy ship in his unmarked police car. The woman later claimed Ballew assaulted her in the car while parked near the Vincent Thomas Bridge on Terminal Island.