Last December, a Los Angeles cop was arrested after his own body camera captured him with a dead woman during a call to her residence.
Now the woman’s family is suing LAPD officer David Rojas, claiming he was negligent, invading her privacy, causing emotional fears and abusing human remains. On Tuesday, the victim’s mother and son appeared at a press conference with high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred to announce the suit.
Janet Baggett was in tears while reading a statement about what happened to her daughter, 34-year-old Elizabeth Baggett. She told reporters, “Shock and weariness do not even come close to describing the horror of hearing this news.”
“I’m afraid this man had so little respect for another man, our Elizabeth, because he did not think she was anyone’s daughter, grandson and mother,” said Janet Baggett, adding, “I want justice for “my daughter, because of this horrible, disgusting action. I live in fear that the video will overwhelm and another destruction will be added to what is already unbearable.”
Rojas, 27, was charged with a criminal count of sexual contact with human remains in connection with the October 2019 incident. Rojas, a four-year army member, pleaded not guilty and was released on $ 20,000 bail. He faces three years in prison as a convict.
The LAPD’s internal affairs unit plays Rojas after a supervisor checked the body camera footage, according to the Los Angeles Times, who first reported on the incident. De The time previously reported the agency would randomly begin checking bodycam video to ensure officers follow protocol when dealing with the public.
Authorities say Rojas and his partner had responded to a call at Elizabeth Baggett’s residence and that she was dead when they arrived. (According to some local news reports, officers responded to a call of a fatal overdose.)
“I’m afraid this man had so little respect for another human being, our Elizabeth, because he did not think she’s someone’s daughter, grandmother, and mother.”
When the partner left the room and Rojas was alone with Elizabeth Baggett’s body, he wrote his body camera after all and greased her breasts. But the device – which contains a two-minute buffer – captured Rojas who grabbed her after he deactivated it.
“We allege in our legal conduct that after Elizabeth’s death, the LAPD officer, David Rojas, contained Elizabeth’s breasts and felt her nipples,” said Allred, who also included Elizabeth’s teenage son, Preston, and the father of the boy, Michael Sertich, represents.
“This sexual contact with Elizabeth was allegedly recorded on the suspect’s bodycam, and the video also shows her naked form,” Allred added. “To make matters worse, this video has also been viewed by others.”
The Baggett family’s lawsuit also lists the city of Los Angeles as a suspect, as do officers who only identify as Doing 1 to 20.
According to the complaint, the suspects revealed “a public fact – the video of Decedent – which would be insulting and objectionable to the ridiculous person” and “was not legitimate public concern.”
The officer and suspects “owe the plaintiff a duty of duty to refrain from having sexual contact with Decedent, making video of Decedent, although partly naked and dead for non-investigative purposes, to protect the privacy and property rights of ‘ to protect the plaintiff in such a video, and to prevent preventable damage by spreading such images, ”the complaint states.
At the press conference, Janet Baggett described her daughter as “loved by everyone who knew her and some she never met.”
“I’m sitting here listening to Louis Armstrong sing ‘What a Wonderful World,'” Janet said. ‘I remember Elizabeth singing this song once in a school rehearsal. I think to myself what a wonderful world it was with Elizabeth there. The words of the song are so comforting. ”
Elizabeth Baggett, who was raised in Texas, was an artist and painter who also went through the moniker “LucidLizard” in the art community. An obituary described her “magical spirit, unique soul, and her charismatic personality.”
“She lived life to the fullest and was always looking for a new adventure,” the obituary continued. “Her memory will live on through her art and countless friends and family who have cherished her.”
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