A Philadelphia Police homicide detective is under investigation for allegedly dating and helping a murder suspect.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey confirmed to NBC10 Philadelphia investigative reporter Harry Hairston on Friday that one of the department's detectives is under an internal investigation.
NBC10 has the name of the detective. We are not releasing it at this time however because he has not yet been charged with a crime.
Sources knowledgeable of the investigation say the Homicide Division detective was romantically involved with a woman suspected of murdering her ex-husband.
The woman, identified by sources as 33-year-old Erica Sanchez, allegedly stabbed her ex-husband Cesar Vera to death back on September 8. Police say they responded to a radio call of a "person with a weapon" on the 3300 block of North 5th Street. When they arrived they found Vera on the floor with a stab wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to sources, Sanchez called the homicide detective for help. The detective allegedly got Sanchez a lawyer, allowed her to use his car, moved her vehicle from the crime scene and told other detectives to "go easy on her."
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Police currently have a warrant for Sanchez's arrest. Sanchez is still missing however. Neighbors say they haven't seen her at her home in the Juniata Park section of the city for about a month.
(Pictured on right: Erica Sanchez)
The detective was taken off the streets and reassigned, but remains on active duty, sources also tell NBC10.
While the detective has not yet been charged, sources say police are looking to charge him with obstruction of justice and interfering with an investigation.
Ramsey deferred additional questions about the case to the department's Public Affairs Office.
"As far as the status or any parts of the investigation itself, it wouldn't be appropriate to divulge any information on that at this particular time," said Philadelphia Police Lieutenant John Stanford. "But like I said, it is an investigation that we're looking into."
