By Mark Puente
Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Copyright 2007 Plain Dealer Publishing Co.
OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — A firefighter facing sex crimes and domestic violence charges remains on the job.
Robert Arida, 44, is accused of having improper sexual contact in June with two girls, Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will said.
Arida gave alcohol to one of the girls before sexually assaulting her, Will said.
Douglas Merrill, Arida’s attorney, did not return phone calls.
Arida faces two counts of gross sexual imposition and three counts of sexual battery.
City officials decided to keep Arida working because of his clean work record, but officials plan to monitor the situation, Fire Chief Timothy Potts said Monday.
Arida has been a firefighter and paramedic in Olmsted Falls since July 1993. His base pay is about $55,000 annually. He has never been disciplined, and no complaints have been filed against him, according to his personnel file.
“He is an excellent employee,” Potts said.
Arida notified the city that he was under investigation by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office about two months ago and made himself available to investigators, Potts said. Arida lives in Eaton Township in Lorain County.
Arida turned himself in after being indicted and posted a $5,000 bond Dec. 22. He is due Wednesday in Common Pleas Court.
Deputies arrested Arida in October for domestic violence related to his wife, records show. The case is pending.