By
Sarah Favot,
IRWINDALE
A former Irwindale police officer was
arrested Wednesday morning by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on
suspicion of acts related to child pornography.
Daniel
Camerano, 27, resigned from the police department Tuesday, Police Chief Anthony
Miranda said.
Miranda
declined further comment because the matter is a personnel issue.
Camerano
was under investigation by the Sheriff’s Department Internal Criminal
Investigations Bureau amid accusations he had inappropriate relationships with
Explorer Scouts.
The
sheriff’s department issued a warrant out of Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal
Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles, Kelley Ford, sheriff’s department
jailer, said.
Ford
said Camerano was arrested in Rancho Cucamonga.
Camerano
was placed on paid administrative leave after the Police Department became
aware of the allegations.
Camerano
was booked Wednesday afternoon at the sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar station on
$240,000 bail.
He
is expected to appear in court today, according to Ford.
Camerano
is one of several Irwindale police officers arrested or under investigation
amid allegations of wrongdoing.
Former
police Sgt. David Fraijo was arrested in March on charges of kidnapping to
commit another crime, forcible oral copulation, oral copulation under the color
of authority, sexual battery by restraint and assault by a public officer.
Fraijo
is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2012 during a traffic stop. The
victim agreed to a settlement with the city for $400,000 in damages after she
had initially filed a $20 million civil lawsuit.
In
another case, former police officer Dennis Alva was sentenced last year to one
year in county jail and five years probation for stealing his 89-year-old
father’s life savings of $250,000.
Alva,
48, surrendered to deputies and pleaded no contest to one count of grand theft.
Two
lawsuits have been filed against Officer Mario Camacho, a former lieutenant. A
suit filed by Officer Rudy Campos claimed Campos didn’t get overtime and got
bad performance evaluations after he voted against a contract item Camacho
favored.
Another
lawsuit filed claimed Camacho sexually harassed a non-sworn police cadet. The
city’s insurance provider Joint Powers Insurance Authority pointed to these
allegations of corruption in the police department as an area of concern when
it placed the city on a Performance Improvement Plan last fall.
JPIA
officials said the PIP was implemented due to a series of alleged misconduct
and reports of criminal behavior against the police officers as well as
criminal public corruption charges against city officials related to lavish
trips taken to New York City, where officials spent $200,000 in public funds on
expensive hotels and restaurants, limousine services and entertainment.
The
charges of embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and conflict of
interest against Mayor Mark Breceda, City Councilman Manuel Garcia, former City
Councilwoman, now planning commissioner, Rosemary Ramirez are pending in L.A.
County Superior Court.
Retired
finance director Abraham “Abe” De Dios pleaded no contest in April to one count
of conflict of interest and was sentenced to three years probation.