The woman's family is suing a police officer who allegedly caressed her corpse. The body camera of David Rojas, a 27-year-old Los Angeles police officer, allegedly captured him groping the chest of a dead woman — Elizabeth Baggett — while on duty.
The Baggett family filed a lawsuit against Rojas, charging them with invasion of privacy, willful infliction of emotional damage and desecration of human remains.
In December last year, 27-year-old Rojas was charged with a felony of illegal sex with human remains. He was released on $ 20,000 bail and pleaded not guilty in January, CNN reports. He faces three years in prison if the court admits guilt.
On October 20, 2019, Rojas and his partner arrived on a corpse call at an apartment building, where they found the body of 34-year-old Baggett, who had died of an overdose.
When another officer left the room to pick up documents from the police car, Rojas turned off his body camera and felt Baggett's breasts and nipples, the lawsuit says. The incriminating footage was recorded by the officer's body camera, which worked for two minutes after he turned off the device. After the incident, Rojas was sent on administrative leave. The footage was discovered by a police officer while selectively viewing the footage.
The lawsuit alleges that other LAPD members watched the tape as well.
“Upon learning that the sexual harassment video was viewed by others, the family was deeply hurt and worried,” the family's lawyer, Allred, said during a press conference on Tuesday.
“I want justice for my daughter . — said the mother of the deceased, Janet Baggett, in a statement. «I live in fear that the video will come up again and cause more pain for the whole family.»
Baggett's 15-year-old son, Preston Certich, added that he had lost confidence in the LAPD after «this shameful act.»
When Rojas was arrested, the police union said it would not defend him during his criminal proceedings.
“His alleged behavior is disgusting and insulting to all law enforcement officers working for the LAPD,” the union said.
