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LAPD officer charged with fondling dead woman’s breasts

Supervisors found body camera footage of the alleged act during a random inspection of body camera footage

Los Angeles Daily News

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors on Thursday accused a Los Angeles police officer with touching the breasts of a dead woman while on duty, officials said.

The officer, David Rojas, 27 faces one felony count of having sexual contact with human remains without authority, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

On Oct. 20, Rojas and his partner responded to a call that involved a woman who had died. While he was alone in the room, prosecutors allege Rojas touched the woman’s breast.

The incident was recorded by the body camera worn by Rojas, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department’s downtown-area Central Division, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Police arrested Rojas on Thursday. He was released from custody by the evening after posting $20,000 bond, according to county jail records.

If convicted of the felony charge, Rojas would face a possible maximum sentence of three years in state prison, officials said.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the local police union, released a statement in response to the charges and arrest, saying that it will not defend Rojas in court.

“We hope that District Attorney Jackie Lacey charging Mr. Rojas for his vile alleged crime will bring some solace to the deceased woman’s family during their time of grieving,” the union said in the statement. “The Los Angeles Police Protective League will not defend Mr. Rojas during his criminal proceedings, and his alleged behavior is abhorrent and an affront to every law enforcement professional working for the LAPD.”

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