The Racine County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday, Nov. 7, that Sheriff Christopher Schmaling placed Capt. Cary Madrigal on administrative leave while the agency conducts an internal review of her actions. The leave is also pending the outcome of a criminal investigation involving another person.

When the leave began and whether it is paid have not been disclosed.

Lt. Mike Luell, the office's public information officer, said in a statement that Madrigal's leave is “pending the outcome of a criminal investigation of another individual and a pending internal administrative review” of her actions, FOX6 reported.

“Captain Madrigal is not the focus or subject of the criminal investigation,” Luell said.

Schmaling referred the matter to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office. In the statement, Luell said Schmaling “took immediate steps to ensure the integrity of the investigation by turning the allegations over to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office” after “the relevant information” came to his attention.

The Sheriff's Office did not identify the criminal investigation, explain what Madrigal's actions under review involved or say who is conducting the internal review. It also did not disclose when the leave began or whether it is paid, Racine County Eye reported. The Kenosha County Sheriff's Office had not responded to questions about the referral by the time of that report's publication.

Luell said the leave is “absolutely not related to the recent election.”

Madrigal, a 26-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office who has served as its operations captain for six years, lost the Nov. 3 election for Racine County sheriff to Democrat Donald Vandervest. Unofficial results reported by Racine County Eye showed Vandervest leading 27,569 to 23,870. The county's election results page provides the November 3 election summary and vote-count reports.

The Union Grove case

One publicly documented Racine County Sheriff's Office investigation transferred to Kenosha County in recent weeks involves Thomas Johnson, 51, the Union Grove Union High School District administrator. Johnson was charged Nov. 5 in Kenosha County Circuit Court with two felony counts of possessing child pornography.

The Kenosha County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a Nov. 4 news release that Racine County referred the investigation on Oct. 27. Kenosha County investigators executed a search warrant at Johnson's residence on Nov. 4 and took him into custody.

The office said it submitted two possession counts to the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office for charging consideration. FOX6's report on the charges provides additional information from the search warrants and criminal complaint.

According to the criminal complaint, Racine County investigators received an anonymous letter about Johnson on Oct. 22. Investigators interviewed Johnson at his home Oct. 23 and again at his Union Grove High School office Oct. 26 before transferring the investigation to Kenosha County the following day, Racine County Eye reported.

During the Oct. 26 interview, the complaint says, Johnson told investigators he had spoken with someone at the Racine County Sheriff's Office about the investigation before it was formally assigned. The complaint does not identify that person.

The Sheriff's Office has not said whether the Johnson case is the criminal investigation referenced in its statement about Madrigal. No public record cited in the reporting connects Madrigal to Johnson or the Union Grove school district, Racine County Eye reported.

Reached by text Saturday, Madrigal told Racine County Eye she could not comment. FOX6 also reported that it contacted Madrigal but did not receive a response.

Johnson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, in Kenosha County.

Anyone with information related to the Johnson investigation can contact the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office.