Los Angeles Sheriff Captain Allegedly Took Inmate Golfing
A Los Angeles sheriff captain allegedly took an inmate on a golf outing and the incident is under investigation.
Frank Carrillo, 41, was serving a two year sentence after pleading guilty to stealing from people at golf courses, according to ABC News Los Angeles station KABC. Carrillo is a professional golfer from Canada.
Image credit: KABC/ABC News
During the sentence, Captain Jeff Donahue of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department allegedly took Carrillo on a trip from the Avalon jail to a golf course last summer, to work on Donahue's game.
Carillo also claims Sheriff Lee Baca knew of and approved the outing, saying he knew the sheriff from charity golf tournaments.
Donahue is still employed with the Sheriff's department and is allegedly on medical leave according to KABC.
"A couple of internal affairs investigations are going on," Sheriff Baca's spokesman, Steve Whitmore told ABC News.com.
Whitmore confirmed a captain is on leave, but did not use names or confirm what the leave is for, saying the leave is in no way connected to the investigation. He also confirmed the command structure for the Avalon station has remained unchanged.
Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
"That's absolutely, unequivocally not true," said Whitmore of the claim's Baca knew of and approved the golf outing.
When an inmate is taken out of jail, it is on a case by case basis, needs to be authorized and is strictly monitored, including leg and arm shackles for the inmate.
Carrillo started serving his sentence at the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles and was transferred to Catalina last year, after earning "trusty" status. An inmate who earns this status is rewarded with special privileges for good behavior.
Despite the status of trusty, the same rules apply for leaving the jail and officers are not allowed to be too friendly with inmates.
"It is strictly forbidden," said Whitmore about fraternizing with inmates. "For example, you couldn't date an inmate, and you definitely couldn't take them on a golf outing."
