LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles police officer accused of fondling a dead woman’s breasts after she died of an accidental drug overdose at her home last fall was sued Tuesday by her family.
The lawsuit accuses Officer David Rojas of fondling Elizabeth Baggett’s breasts while he was on duty and “feeling her nipples, without limitation,” as well as showing the body camera video of it to others.
Rojas, who has been on the force for four years, and his partner responded to the home where Baggett died on Oct. 20, 2019. When his partner left the room, Rojas allegedly deactivated his body camera and fondled the dead 34-year-old woman.
Officer-worn body cameras have a buffer period and continue to record footage for two minutes after officers deactivate them, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I am infuriated that this man had so little respect for another human being, our Elizabeth, for not having the thought that she is someone’s daughter, granddaughter and mother,” the woman’s mother, Janet Baggett, said at a news conference held Tuesday at the Los Angeles law offices of attorney Gloria Allred.
“We, her family, have sleepless nights, if we are able to sleep. I personally wake in sweats from the nightmares that haunt me about the events of Elizabeth’s death,” she said. “Days are not much better.”
The filing comes in addition to criminal charges against Rojas, which were filed in January. His trial has reportedly been delayed multiple times amid the coronavirus pandemic, FOX reported.
Janet Baggett said LAPD internal affairs first reached out to her in late 2019 to notify her of the allegations against Rojas. He was arrested and charged in January with having sexual contact with human remains without authority. The officer pleaded not guilty and faces up to three years in state prison if convicted. He was released on $20,000 bail and is scheduled to court Sept. 15, according to online records.
Rojas remains employed by the Los Angeles Police Department but was suspended in December, LAPD spokesman Officer Mike Chan said. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, has declined to pay for Rojas’ legal bills.
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ORIGINAL STORY DEC. 13, 2019
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles Police Department officer was arrested and charged Thursday following an investigation into allegations that he fondled a dead woman’s breasts while responding to an overdose call in October.
The alleged incident was reportedly captured on the officer’s body camera.
Officer David Rojas, 27, was charged with a felony violation of state health and safety code, which prohibits “having sexual contact with human remains without authority,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The LAPD Internal Affairs Division arrested Rojas on Thursday then released him on a $20,000 bond, The Associated Press reported, citing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate locator website. He could face up to three years in state prison if convicted.
“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.”
– Los Angeles Police Protective League
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that usually provides legal counsel for the LAPD’s 10,000 members, released a statement saying it would not defend Rojas in any criminal proceedings.
“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’s board said in a statement. “His alleged behavior is abhorrent and an affront to every law enforcement professional working for the LAPD.”
“This incident is extremely disturbing and does not represent the values of the Los Angeles Police Department,” LAPD Chief Michel Moore also said, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
“This incident is extremely disturbing and does not represent the values of the Los Angeles Police Department.”
Rojas and his partner had responded to a report of a possible dead woman in a residential unit on Oct. 20. After the officers determined the woman had died, the partner returned to the patrol car to retrieve something, the Los Angeles Times first reported. At that point, Rojas allegedly deactivated his body camera and fondled the dead woman before later reactivating the camera. It was unclear how long the officer was left alone.
The incident was captured on video — even though the officer deactivated his camera — because of a two-minute buffer on the device, according to Fox 11. LAPD officer body cameras automatically save video and audio for two minutes after the device is initially deactivated.
Police officials conducting a random audit of the officer’s body camera videos found the incriminating footage, according to a person briefed on the incident. The person wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the case and spoke to The Associated Press last week on condition of anonymity.
The LAPD is also reportedly investigating Rojas’ work history. The four-year veteran was placed on leave and stripped of his police powers last week during an internal investigation of the incident. He had been assigned to downtown’s Central Division.
(Feature image: Max Pixel)
