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	Former Arizona Priest Arrested in Spain on Sex Abuse Charges By Alicia Barron, Fox 11 News Fox 11 [Arizona] June 4, 2007 http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/KMSB_20070604_ab_priestsexabuse.16f6dab1.html A former Arizona member of the clergy has been detained by authorities in Spain. A news release from Attorney General Terry Goddard indicates the Spanish National Police arrested Father Jorge Washington Cordova Hernandez June 3 in Guadarrama, Spain near Madrid. Cordova, 51, was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Yuma, part of the Tucson Catholic Diocese, where he remained from 1988 to 1991. In 2005 he was accused of sexually abusing two minors during his time in Yuma and was indicted on 10 counts of sexual abuse. According to the news release, authorities obtained a warrant for Cordova's arrest but he fled to Ecuador to his home diocese. The Arizona Attorney General's Office proceeded to file a provisional arrest warrant with Spanish Police on behalf of the Yuma County Attorney's Office after receiving information on the priest's whereabouts. Cordova was arrested when he came out of a seminar where he was presenting at the Fray Luis of Leon cultural residential complex. He was under the impression he was to do a local television interview. The suspect will be in custody of the Spanish National Police until completion of the extradition process.
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