A Los Angeles Police Department officer was arrested Monday for allegedly stealing money from a woman's backpack while officers were conducting enforcement of an illegal cannabis grow facility.
A worker at the facility notified an LAPD supervisor that money was missing from her backpack. The supervisor secured the scene and reviewed footage from cameras installed inside the building. The footage led investigators to believe Northeast Area Police Officer Louis Mota had stolen the money from the woman's backpack, the police department reported.
Mota was taken into custody and booked for misdemeanor theft. He was later released on his own recognizance, according to the police.
"No employee of this department is above the law, and we will not tolerate any individual who betrays the public's trust through this type of behavior," LAPD Chief Michel Moore said.
Mota is assigned to home while the LAPD conducts an administrative and criminal investigation.
