GUATEMALA CITY – A Guatemalan police officer suspected of belonging to a gang accused of vehicle theft, robbery and sexual assault has turned himself in to authorities.

National Civil Police “officer Marvelys Obed Ramos Iguardia voluntarily turned himself in (Tuesday) to the Attorney General’s Office” and was immediately arraigned, an AG’s office spokesman told Efe.

A court had issued an arrest warrant last week for Ramos for the crimes of aggravated robbery and criminal association.

According to investigators, the officer was part of an “extensive criminal structure” made up of several cells implicated in more than a dozen cases of rape, vehicle theft and robberies of bank customers.

Last week, security forces arrested a 30-year-old Nicaraguan man – identified as Javier Alexander Gonzalez, alias “El Nica” – and two other suspected members of the gang. Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez said in announcing the arrests that Gonzalez was the group’s top leader.

Authorities have not indicated if Ramos and the three suspects nabbed last week also are implicated in the sexual assaults currently under investigation.

One cell whose members are accused of raping at least 13 women between March and May was dismantled on June 8 when security forces detained 11 suspects in a raid.

Another reputed member of the cell, 22-year-old Jowmay Garcia, managed to escape arrest. EFE