PORT ST. LUCIE — A police officer was suspended for three weeks after an internal investigation found several policy violations in actions surrounding a romantic relationship with a convicted felon, records show.
Port St. Lucie police sustained seven improper conduct allegations against then Detective Kayla Ruede following an investigation that began in December and largely involved Joshua Oakley, who was released from state prison last year and was arrested as recently as this month.
Police hired Ruede in October 2015 and now is a road patrol officer, Senior Sgt. Lisa Marie Carrasquillo, police spokeswoman, said via email.
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Police provided investigative records related to Ruede's internal affairs case last week after TCPalm requests beginning in early June.
Police began investigating Ruede after they went to a call Dec. 10 on Southeast Ladner Street.
A woman reportedly in a former relationship with Oakley told police she invited Oakley “to spend the day/night,” but said they argued because Oakley called her husband. The woman said she called Ruede’s father “to let him know his daughter had a convicted felon in the house,” records show.
The woman said Oakley “freaked out and broke things,” including a television. Police applied for a warrant for Oakley’s arrest.
Shortly afterward, police began investigating Ruede, and on Dec. 13 told her not to contact Oakley. Police are not supposed to associate with known criminals.
Investigators found she called Oakley, and also let Oakley use her credit card to help bond out of jail.
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Ruede said she met Oakley years earlier at a bar in Fort Pierce. She said they dated briefly but it didn’t work out. Ruede was a detective in the section that largely handles drug investigations.
Oakley was sentenced to prison in 2018 on marijuana and other charges, and was released in October 2019, records show.
Ruede said Oakley started communicating via Snapchat with her in June or July 2019. That was before his release from prison.
Asked whether Oakley could send Snapchat messages to Ruede from prison, Ruede said he apparently could because cell phones could be “snuck” into prison.
Ruede denied knowing Oakley was in prison.
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She said he “basically” moved in with her weeks after getting out of prison but he didn’t mention his incarceration or criminal history. She later learned he had a “marijuana charge,” but didn’t ask more because she trusted him.
Ruede said she was unaware the public can search the Florida Department of Corrections website for free to look up someone’s name to determine whether they’ve served a prison sentence.
Fort Pierce police arrested Oakley, 30, July 8 after an alleged battery at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute.
Additional charges were added after investigators say he had a single 9 mm cartridge in his pocket at the jail.
Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. He also covers strange, wild and weird Treasure Coast crimes in “Off The Beat.” Follow Will on Twitter @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-692-8936. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com
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