A Los Angeles Police Department captain faces an internal affairs investigation after he reported a burglary at an illegal marijuana growing operation in the San Fernando Valley.
The LAPD said in a statement Thursday it had assigned an un-named employee to home while its internal affairs unit investigated.
Other department officials, who declined to be publicly identified, said the employee is a department captain who was recently assigned to the LAPD's Northeast and Rampart Divisions, and the officials said the investigation has expanded into 'other areas.'
According to the LAPD statement the illegal growing operation was discovered in a warehouse on Bradley Avenue in the department's Foothill Division on October 31, 2017, when a burglary report was called-in.
"The suspects pried open the rear door of the location and entered the business," the LAPD said. "The suspects fled the location with the victim's property, which consisted of a safe, cigarettes, cigars, and marijuana plants."
A second illegal growing operation was discovered during the investigation of the captain's involvement in the warehouse location, the department officials said.
The captain was told more than a week ago he was being relieved of his command, the officials said.
A message left for the captain's attorney was not immediately returned.
In an email exchange reported by the Los Angeles Times the captain said he was outside the warehouse at 4:00 a.m. and reported the burglary.
“I can only say that a burglary came to my attention and I notified LAPD of the crime,” [captain] said in an email. “They investigated and it led to an illegal marijuana grow.”
The captain, the Times said, would not explain why he was there.