A Los Angeles police officer pleaded not guilty Monday to allegations that he fondled a dead woman’s breasts, authorities said.
David Rojas, 27, is charged with having sexual contact with human remains without authority and is out on $20,000 bond, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
Rojas entered his plea Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the District Attorney’s office said. He faces up to three years in state prison if convicted.
Rojas and his partner had responded to a report of a woman who died at a home on Oct. 20, the District Attorney’s office has said. The officer, who has been on the force for four years, allegedly touched her breast while he was alone in the room with the corpse.
Rojas allegedly disabled his LAPD body camera, but the act was caught on video when he turned it back on because the devices have two-minute buffering periods to capture what happens right before they are activated, according to a person briefed on the incident. The person wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the case and previously spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, has declined to pay for Rojas’ legal bills.
Rojas’ attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press
