A Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of fondling a dead woman’s breasts was arrested Thursday and charged, officials said.

David Rojas was taken into custody by the Internal Affairs Division after the district attorney’s office charged the Central Division officer with a felony violation of the state safety codes covering sexual actions with human remains.

Rojas and his partner responded to a call about a possible dead woman in a residential unit, sources said. Once the two officers determined the woman was dead, Rojas’ partner returned to the patrol car to retrieve something. During that time, Rojas turned off his body-worn camera and allegedly fondled the woman’s breasts, LAPD officials said.

Although the officer deactivated the camera, a two-minute buffer on the device captured the incident. The department is also investigating the officer’s work history.


Currently, when an LAPD officer turns his or her camera on, it automatically begins saving video and audio starting two minutes before the activation. It’s unclear for how long the officer allegedly fondled the dead woman or what triggered him to later activate the camera.

