- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lakeport doctor arrested for sexual battery
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Authorities have arrested a Lakeport doctor who is accused of sexual battery on a woman who worked at his office.
Dr. Mohamad Moutaz Almawaldi, 56, was arrested last week, according to Lt. Corey Paulich of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Paulich said that on Aug. 9 a report was made to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office regarding an assault that the victim said was committed by Dr. Almawaldi.
The adult female victim reported that Dr. Almawaldi had sexually battered her while she was working at his office in Lakeport. Paulich said she reported that Dr. Almawaldi forcefully kissed her and pulled down her shirt.
Dr. Almawaldi was contacted and did not wish to provide a statement, Paulich said.
Paulich said the sheriff’s office forwarded the case to the Lake County District Attorney’s Office, which in turn filed a complaint with the Lake County Superior Court.
On Nov. 30 a felony arrest warrant was issued for Dr. Almawaldi, Paulich said.
On Feb. 7, the Lakeport Police Department located Almawaldi, according to Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said his agency was aware that Almawaldi had a warrant and they located him at Evergreen Lakeport Healthcare, where they took him into custody.
Paulich said Almawaldi was booked into the Lake County Jail on the same night. He later posted the $20,000 bail and was released.
Emma Dugas, a spokesperson for Sutter Lakeside Hospital, told Lake County News that the hospital is aware of the allegations against Dr. Almawaldi, which were reported to have occurred in his private practice.
“Dr. Almawaldi has had courtesy privileges with Sutter Lakeside Hospital so that he may order diagnostic tests for his private practice patients,” said Dugas.
She said Almawaldi is not an active member of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital medical staff.
Dugas said the hospital couldn’t comment further.
According to the Medical Board of California, Almawaldi is a board-certified nephrologist, or kidney specialist, who graduated from the University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine in his native Syria in 1984.
He has been licensed as both a physician and surgeon since August 1991, with his license due to expire in June 2019, according to the Medical Board.
Online medical board records show that Almawaldi has no record of administrative disciplinary actions, court orders, convictions, malpractice judgments, probationary licenses or letters of reprimand.
Almawaldi is tentatively scheduled to appear in Lake County Superior Court on April 3, according to his booking sheet.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 707-262-4238.
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