LAPD officer arrested for stealing woman's debit card
LOS ANGELES - An officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was arrested for burglary and theft of a debit card Wednesday.
The felony arrest came after a woman expressed concerns over her missing debit card, which she remembered being in her possession while inside a department facility. The victim then noticed unauthorized transactions on her bank statement.
The officer was identified as Edmond Babaians, who was recognized by authorities through photographs of the officer making purchases with the woman's debit card at a home improvement store.
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"The allegations of an officer breaking public trust are extremely troubling and there must be accountability," said LAPD Chief Michel Moore.
Babaians was booked in LAPD's Valley Jail Section where he was later released. He was relieved of his police powers and was "assigned home" pending the outcome of LAPD's internal investigation.
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"Our police officers must be held accountable to the highest standard. I want to acknowledge and thank Chief Moore and LAPD leadership for swiftly taking action on this serious matter," said Mayor Karen Bass. "The integrity of our police department is of the utmost importance and we must continue to act with transparency and accountability to build trust with all Angelenos."
Babaians has been an officer with LAPD for approximately 16 years.