Deputies Interview 100 in Probe of Azusa Priest

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is wrapping up an investigation of Father David Granadino, a Catholic priest accused of molesting boys at his church in Azusa, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Sheriff’s investigators said they have interviewed nearly 100 altar boys, students and other youths at St. Francis of Rome Catholic Church over the last two weeks. They expect to complete the investigation in the next few days.

Granadino could not be reached for comment Thursday. An e-mail exchange among officials of the Los Angeles Archdiocese said the priest has “denied forcefully any misconduct.” Granadino offered to provide authorities with a list of altar boys at the church, according to the e-mails, which were leaked to the media earlier this month.

Granadino, who also served as a Sheriff’s Department chaplain, was removed by the archdiocese as head of St. Francis when the investigation began. The Sheriff’s Department inquiry was triggered by an anonymous call on March 22 to the archdiocese’s hotline, which was created to field sexual-abuse allegations.

Archdiocese officials provided sheriff’s detectives with a tape of the telephone call. The hotline is providing scores of tips, including many false leads, officials said.

On Thursday, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony was cleared by authorities of an abuse allegation made by a Fresno woman.

In the Azusa case, Sheriff’s Capt. Patti Minutello said 15 investigators are interviewing boys, girls and parents, as well as gathering evidence and following up on new allegations.

The Sheriff’s Department did not reveal the name of the priest to The Times, but law enforcement sources confirmed that Granadino is being investigated.

Investigators are conferring with the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, advising prosecutors about what they’ve learned, said Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Dan Scott.

Granadino, who had worked as a chaplain at the department’s station in Industry, has not been interviewed by sheriff’s detectives.

The parish secretary at St. Francis of Rome said Granadino is at a retreat and could not be reached for comment. He resides at an abbey in the Antelope Valley.

He was described in an e-mail from Msgr. Craig Cox to Cardinal Mahony as reluctant to leave the parish after the accusation, especially in the week before Easter. That correspondence was among the archdiocese e-mails obtained last week by KFI radio.

Some St. Francis parishioners describe Granadino as outgoing.

“He is a very dynamic personality. He endears himself to everyone,” said Joe Rocha, an Azusa city councilman and longtime parishioner. “Father David is very active in the community. When people need help, he is always there for them.”

Nearly every day brings new accusations against priests on the archdiocese hotline, law enforcement officials said. The tips are referred to police.

Los Angeles Police Det. Dale Barraclough, who supervises the sexually exploited child unit, said he speaks “every other day or so” to Sister Judith Ann Murphy, an attorney for the archdiocese, .

“She calls reporting new people all the time,” he said.

The LAPD has assigned six detectives to investigate the allegations. The team has its own phone line--(213) 485-2883--”to report sexual abuse by a religious leader,” according to the taped message. Barraclough said the detectives specialize in abuse by those in positions of trust and authority.

The LAPD also is reviewing some older cases, he said, to determine whether there are grounds to pursue new allegations against priests convicted of past crimes.

At the request of the archdiocese, the Police Department is acting as a liaison between the church and other law enforcement agencies, said LAPD Cmdr. Gary Brennan. The department will pass on tips to police agencies outside Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Archdiocese covers Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

The archdiocese is among a number of Catholic ministries around the country enmeshed in the widening clerical sex-abuse scandal. Accusations, some recent and some decades old, first surfaced in Boston earlier this year.